A Different Kind of God
by XXxxxadisxxxXX
Summary: The city that never sleeps is one like no other. You could look at the wolves on Wallstreet trying to make a buck or you could look at the more fun things, the more supernatural things. There are all manner of these things in the underbelly of New York whether it be gods, demons, monsters, or even vampires. Now, where does Liam fit in?
1. Beneath the Ice

**Edit:** fixed minor grammar errors and the line that fucked with me the read "She breathed in a breathless tone" stupid thing to miss I know

**AN: **Alright time to give a little context here. This story is going to be my take at writing a horror/adventure story. I'll say right off the bat horror is not something I have a lot of experience with so if you have some advice I'm all ears. Also a quick note for whoever can guess the narrator first, you get a cookie. ~enjoy

**Warning** because of what gods I'm putting into this story there will be mentions of rape. I'd rather not have to mention it at all, but with one of their titles literally being 'The King of Rape' and you know Zeus being a thing I can't really get around it...

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

Beneath the Ice

The city of New York was filled to the brim with flurries of snow. Cars passed by in the usual hustle and bustle of flashing lights while people walked the streets with some sense of purpose in their steps. Standing out from the crowd was a promiscuous woman.

Unlike all those around her who went about their business with thick coats and padded fur the only thing covering this woman was a simple white dress. It was made of seemingly expensive cloth, and it only served to cover the most revealing parts of her body. Accentuating her beautiful appearance was her long flowing hair.

It was as white as the falling snow while being just long enough to cover her neck. In that hair sat a flower. It was similar enough to a rose for most to mistake it as so, but if you were to look closer it would be a flower like no other.

It let off an almost heavenly scent from its red folds. Its petals seemed thick, almost too thick to be an actual plant. On the edges of the flower, it was adorned with large thorns while the stem and leaves that brushed up against the woman's ear as she walked were barren.

As she continued walking on more and more eyes were drawn to her appearance with most of them being of the male persuasion. The woman kept walking ignoring all of the eyes drawn to her. With each step, she took she purposefully swayed her hips and let out a charming smile.

The woman's eyes were noticeably red almost bloodshot; In the moonlight, they seemed to glow a light red. The woman walked to the end of the street next to an empty alleyway. Just as she stopped her red eyes met those of a young man.

In front of her stood a young man. He carried a battered suitcase in his left hand while in his right he carried an empty bottle. The winter coat he was wearing seemed to be just a bit too small for him. The businessman's eyes were glazed over with an almost tangible film due to the contents of the bottle in his right hand. The only other thing that stood out on him was that his tie was completely undone.

He stumbled forward as his eyes met hers. The woman reached forward and caught him then flashed him a beautiful smile. Her pearly white teeth seemed to shine in the low light as she steadied him on her arm. The man mumbled something but was apparently so out of it he couldn't form anything more than slurs.

Pulling him deeper into the alleyway the woman gave him another reassuring smile. The young man's dazed look went completely vacant as he suddenly stood up straight. He looked forward into the woman's glowing red eyes and mumbled out, "Mistress?"

The woman didn't say anything back to him. Instead, she flashed him another wide smile; if anyone more observant were to be in the alley they would notice a few of her teeth were a bit too long.

Walking out of the alleyway the woman pulled on her new coat. Her previous bloodshot eyes were now a baby blue. She opened her mouth and let out a sigh of bliss; Licking her lips she sniffed the air. Just as her eyes locked onto another person drunkenly stumbling out of a nearby bar she flashed another smile.

Only with this smile, her teeth were stained red.

-Outside the Principals Office-

Sitting just outside a large wooden door was a kid. He sat in an old wooden chair with a line of similar ones sitting just down the hall. His hands were covered in small cuts; while on his eye there was a large bruise. He was completely alone in the hall except for a rather old looking woman who sat across from him with a stern look on her face.

His light brown eyes stared up at her looking a bit skittish as she continued to stare at him saying nothing. Trying his best to distract himself from the incessant waiting he continued to stare off at random things around the hall or at whatever caught his attention.

The boy quickly turned his head back and forth almost trying to deny what just happened. Sitting herself up some the crotchety old woman let out a quiet cough. The kid's head turned to her with his charcoal-colored hair swishing to one side.

The old woman across from pursed her lips then said, "It's a shame you know?"

"W-What is?" he asked looking even more scared than before.

The crotchety old woman gave him a hateful look then said, "That such good people get stuck with a demon child like you."

The eleven-year-old kid looked down into his lap again. His eyes seemed to be holding back a hateful glare as he grit his teeth. From behind the wooden door, the quiet murmurs stopped followed by three children exiting from behind it.

Every single one of them was covered in various wounds. None of the wounds looked life-threatening, but they were enough for them to wince in pain as they walked down the long hallway. Two of the three children were giving heated glares to the boy sitting in the chair while the one leading them gave him an unnatural smile.

Just as the trio of children rounded the corner a deep voice came from behind the wooden door.

"Mr. Davis, will you come here please?"

The boy stood up from his chair and a sense of dread started growing. Just as he opened the door to Mr. Clendenning's office he thought _He's never called me by my last name before._

The door opened up into a rather small office. Its main appliance was a desk cutting the room in half with a chair on either side. On top of the desk sat a monitor and an assortment of New York Giants paraphernalia. The room had a bookshelf filled to the brim with miscellaneous files and other school supplies to the boy's left.

The only other notable thing in the room was the window letting in some light and showing the flurries of snow that passed by every few seconds. Sitting on the other side of the desk was a portly man.

As the man leaned back into his chair the cheaply made office chair, it strained under his girth. In his hands was a pen and a file labeled 'Liam R. Davis.' The man's balding head snapped to Liam as he entered the room.

Liam closed the door behind him with a soft thud. Mr. Clendenning gave Liam a once over then told him "Why don't you take a seat."

Not saying a word Liam walked over to the rickety chair in front of him. As he sat down in the aged chair it let out a few creaks, but otherwise held firm. The principal opened up the file in his hand and chewed on the cap of his pen. The man endeavored to bring his bulging body forward and asked, "You know why you're here correct?"

"Yes," responded Liam his dread rising even further.

One of Mr. Clendenning's many chins jiggled as he asked, "Yes what?"

Looking forward Liam quickly replied, "Yes, Sir."

Mr. Clendenning nodded his head then put the file down on the table. The file had numerous papers each one titled 'Incident Report' with the name Liam Davis following soon after. The principal opened up a drawer in his desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

He swiftly clicked his pen then titled the page with 'Incident Report: Liam Davis.' After this, he wrote down the date and time and underlined the heading. Looking up from the paper Mr. Clendenning said, "What did I say the last time you were in here?"

Liam looked him in the eyes then said, "T-That this time better be the last?"

Mr. Clendenning stared back at him then asked, "So why-" the fat man's brow furrowed "-are you in my office?"

Liam gripped the arm of his chair. He looked down for a second as a guilty look came over his face and he quietly said, "I...I got into a fight."

Mr. Clendenning ran a hand through his balding hair then said, "For the fifth time? And if that wasn't bad enough, you got into a fight with the son of one of the Directors of the school-board!"

The principal quickly brought the hand on his hand down over his eyes. He looked over to another report to the side of his desk then told Liam "I'm sorry kid, but I can't keep on with you this time."

Liam didn't say anything, but the dread building in his stomach started to skyrocket. The principal started writing on the Incident Report then told Liam, "At this point, it's only a formality, but you need to take this home to your parents and have them sign it."

Mr. Clendenning pushed the piece of paper over to Liam. Written in black ink was a description of what had happened at lunch earlier that day with the word expulsion printed at the bottom. Gritting his teeth Liam grabbed the piece of paper and shoved it in his pocket.

The last thing Liam heard as he walked out of the office was a silent mumbling of, "Good riddance."

-Outside Albany Intermediate School-

Liam sat on a wooden bench thinking about what was to come. He could almost see it now. The looks of disappointment from his parents. Their smiles slowly melting away as they find out what they got called for. The resignation when they realize there is nothing they can do to but find another school.

He reached down and pulled his jacket tight, and with each breath, he let out a small font of white mist blew from his mouth. People passed by on their daily routines as the minutes slowly started to tick by. Liam felt himself get more and more worried with every second.

Liam didn't know why he did it. It was just like any other day, but then he felt that familiar feeling start to bubble up in his chest. It started off with something small, a joke. And as the lunch period went on it just kept getting worse.

He tried doing what his counselor told him, but it didn't help. He kept his breathing steady while saying "In." or "Out." in his mind. Liam was trying to ignore them but they had to keep pushing. The jokes went from nearly harmless to talking about his size. How he was bigger than everyone else; how he was stronger. They told him it made him stand out, made him different.

It started like always. The slight burn of anger started to slowly pound in his chest. Then the whispers started. For as long as he could remember it was there, goading him on from the back of his mind. Telling him to do something, anything at all to make them stop.

The voice would slowly start to pick up in intensity as his bullies kept pushing him. It started off innocent enough. Telling him to leave, regroup and come back when there was only one. As the voice started to increase in its intensity however, it got more and more depraved.

It seemed driven, no obsessed to make the boy do something about his situation. It wouldn't take anything lying down that's for sure; its pride wouldn't allow it. Eventually, the voice would get to the point where he couldn't hold himself back anymore. Liam's blood would rush to his ears and the only thing he could hear was that sickly sweet whisper egging him on.

You would expect him to tell somebody about this right? His parents? Counselor? Friends?

Well Liam did, and with every failed attempt he kept pushing it off more and more. He told himself _I'll just talk about It tomorrow, maybe the next day, or maybe not at all._

Looking back on it now he thought he should have tried harder. That lazy attitude only harmed him in the long run. Liam looked up from the bench at which he sat and gave a glance to the falling sun. It seemed like they would be late again.

Liam was unlike other kids in America, namely that he was adopted. At the time his parents called him 'their little miracle' and this, that, or the other. His adoptive father Carter Davis was a semi-wealthy banker while his mother, Olivia Davis, was an overly affectionate stay at home mom.

To Liam, they were all a kid could ask for. A loving family, something he couldn't think of growing up without. He ended up leaving the orphanage when he was five. Liam's memory was a bit blurred, but he could remember the car ride back.

The sun rolling through his father's car was beautiful.

The boy looked up to the last rays of sunshine as the world slowly dimmed to the cacophony of lights that was New York City. Liam stood up with a small groan and thought _Well it looks like I'm on my own...again._

Ever since he got kicked out of his fourth school district his father has been ever more distant in their relationship. He used to get a ride every single day where they would go out and do something new. Liam would get to see an elephant at a carnival, go to the beach, or even get to see a movie before it actually came out!

His father always bragged about how he could get into early screenings.

Then came his first accident. His school was on a trip to the zoo and it ultimately ended with him getting expelled. He told everyone it was just a normal cat, but they wouldn't believe him. After getting chewed out by his teachers and the zoo staff alike he got called a "thief" and was kicked out of school.

The second had a little bit to do with fireworks and a lot to do with the superintendents missing hair. While the third and fourth were when he started to hear that voice. It showed up like always whispering for him to do horrible things.

Liam started on his walk. Unlike most twelve-year-olds, he wouldn't have much to worry about walking around so late. He looked like someone at least three years older and as long as he stuck to the usual route he thought he'd be fine.

Just as he got off the block his school was on, Liam saw a familiar park come into view. He could remember going there with his mother and father. The fourth of July celebrations were always his favorite. A small sign was posted up nearby that read 'Soarta ta așteaptă!' (1)

Liam didn't think much of it and started to walk through the big open gate leading into his favorite park. The concrete sidewalk slowly shifted into a snow-covered expanse as he thought _Great no plow through here huh?_

All around him the blowing breeze and sickly trees made for an eerie atmosphere. The hubbub of the city that never sleeps seemed to be cut off by the wrought iron fences surrounding the park. Liam started to quicken his pace as he left a trail of small footprints in the freshly fallen snow.

He knew that he was already halfway home when he saw the lake. The frozen expanse was covered by snow, but the clearly marked signs told him it was there. A small gazebo was situated just on the shore and from inside came pale yellow light.

_Is someone there? _He thought.

The gazebo itself was like much of everything in New York currently, namely covered in snow. It looked fairly new as the white paint on its sides were held up quite well in the winter. The yellow light came out through a white picket wall on either side of its large entrance.

As Liam started to approach the building while walking around the lake he heard a burst of flowery laughter break the night's silence. The sound was almost musical as another bout of the beautiful sound blew through the clearing like the wind.

Suddenly for the first time he could remember in years, the voice in the back of Liam's mind stopped talking. He stopped dead in his tracks and waited a few seconds and...nothing. _I-It's gone! _Thought Liam in exasperation.

The boy gave a worrying glance at the gazebo and muttered, "It couldn't hurt..."

One footstep lead to another as he approached the entrance of the white gazebo. Just as Liam's eyes settled in the new light, he saw the source of all the sound. It was a woman and an absolutely gorgeous one at that.

She was wearing a frilly dress that seemed to perfectly accentuate her above-average curves, although Liam didn't seem to notice nor care. The young boy stepped into the light and the laughing cut off to a pregnant silence.

_A flower?_ Thought Liam as he looked up at the pale woman's head.

The woman's blue iris's started to slowly darken as she scrunched up her nose and let out a small sniff. She turned to the boy and flashed him an inviting image of her pearly white teeth. The silence was swiftly broken as she faltered, "pure blood..."

With inhuman grace, the woman pushed herself from where she sat and strode towards Liam. Just as she reached the entrance of the gazebo her eyes finished their switch into a blazing red. Brown met blood red as the woman stared into Liam's eyes.

Slowly, she brought one of her hands forward and cupped it on the boy's left cheek. Many thoughts ran through Liam's mind as one the woman's fingers shot down drawing a small line of blood on his cheek. One dainty finger now stained red was brought to the pale woman's lips.

The finger passed through the red gate blocking her tongue from the outside world, and the woman let out an almost sweet sigh. Liam already had his heart beating out of his chest by now but every time he tried to move, to run away he couldn't.

His brain was sending the signals to run, but his body wouldn't allow it. The woman's eyes were now a blazing crimson as she walked out into the fallen snow and said a simple command.

"Follow," she ordered.

Liam tried his best to run away but once again his body did not listen. The woman trudged out into the snowy night heading towards the edge of the lake. Without any actual input from himself, Liam's body followed behind her. With each forced step he took, Liam could feel a small ball of dread build itself in his stomach.

_What is she? _He thought.

The hard ground turned to slippery ice as the woman out in front of him slowly turned back around to face him. Looking at her face Liam could see it was scrunched up in almost abhorrent anger; slowly but surely his eyes were drawn to the snarl on her mouth.

The most noticeable thing, of course, was the fangs; two large and threatening incisors that seemed to normally be tucked away behind her upper were now out in the open for the whole world to see. With what some would call an indomitable will for someone so young, Liam tried once again to free his mind from its invisible restraints.

Liam's body stood upright as his right foot trembled against the ice. Luckily enough for him, the woman did not seem to notice. Bringing one of her hands towards his face once again the vampire growled, "Tell me, did he not think I would notice? That his one of brood was under my nose!"

Liam's eyes looked much akin to a rabbit's at that moment as he thought, _Who in the hell is she talking about?_

Her glowing crimson eyes flashed then she demanded, "Speak meat!"

All of a sudden Liam felt like he could move again. Doing his best to lean away from her grip Liam yelled out, "I don't know who you're talking about; Let go of me!"

The vampire did not take to kindly to that.

With inhuman speed her outstretched palm wrapped itself around Liam's neck; she forced him towards herself all while staring him in the eyes. After a few heart-pounding seconds, for Liam at least, the woman let go of him.

Confused the boy looked up at her with hope showing through his eyes. The vampire brought her hand up to her mouth as a smile slowly formed on her face. Just before it reached her mouth she beamed, "Oh you don't know!"

Like before a flowery laugh was let out into the night. Unlike before with Liam having a front-row seat to the affair, he could see just what laid beneath that beauty. She was nothing more than a pale monster dressed in satin.

With an audible tear of skin the vampire bit down on her hand. From where he stood Liam could see small drops of red start to fall, painting the white below. The woman now had a manic smile on her face as she strutted towards Liam.

"Oh, how beautiful a night it is!" she exclaimed.

Sure enough, the vampire reached him; when she did, she grabbed Liam's shoulder with her uninjured hand. The grip was strong, as inhuman as her teeth. She looked the boy in the eyes, and once again her eyes brightly flashed in the night.

The woman commanded, "Open your mouth."

With no will of his own Liam's mouth forced itself open as the dread in his stomach ballooned even more. He tried to turn his head to the side or do anything to get away, but the only thing he could do to resist was to curse her in his head.

_Why am I never able to do anything? _Lamented Liam inside his head.

The woman in front of him brought her dripping hand over his mouth and let the red ichor flow. The first thing Liam noticed about it was the taste. It was bitter, insufferably bitter. As the liquid reached the back of his throat the world around him tinged red.

His mouth closed of its own accord as Liam thought _It's always something, isn't it?_

The vampire let out another laugh, this one filled with true happiness. "How long has it been?" she asked.

She looked down at her hand and the flow came to a sudden stop. Liam's vision started to darken as he thought, _The orphanage, school, my father._

Images passed through his head of each one. They were always there, a part of his life he loved yet hated. It always came back to one thing. He had to have control, of his life at least. What was that saying again? I am the master of my fate: I'm the captain of my soul. (2)

In a dominating tone, the woman told Liam, "Lay down."

Unceremoniously, he plopped down onto the ice-covered snow. Surprisingly enough, he couldn't feel the cold; he couldn't feel much of anything really. Below him, the ice let out an ominous crack that neither of the two seemed to notice.

"My name is Lamae; remember it well. I'm your Broodmother after all." breathed the woman in a enthusiastic tone. (3)

Lamae brought one leg over his body and straddled him in the snow. Her bare knees made a noticeable indent into the white fluff on either side of Liam as she leaned her head down next to his. Liam's heartbeat began to slow as fuzzy dots appeared in his vision.

_Never again. _Growled Liam inside his head.

The woman's listless breath hit his ears as she brought her head lower still. He could distinctively feel a small pinch on his neck as the woman let out a low moan. Lamae brought her head back above his and put both of her hands on either side of Liam's face.

Her crimson eyes glowed once more as her cherry stained lips curved upwards. "Your mine. Forever and ever." she stated.

Liam's ever slowing heartbeat skipped a beat as he twitched his fingers. Lamae started to mess with the hem of her dress as she cackled, "Oh what better revenge, than do to upon you what he did to me!"

The boy's hand curled into a fist as he growled out, "Never." in a muffled voice.

The vampire on top of him showed more of her insanity through her eyes. The crimson pools threatened to overwhelm her face as the blood vessels on her face glowed with hidden power. She looked down from on top of him and cooed, "You still have some fight in you little fledgling? All the more fun."

The dots in Liam's vision started to multiply to even greater lengths as he brought his fist up into the air. Lame pressed her body onto his as Liam yelled, "Never!"

From the back of his mind the voice that had been quiet all this time called out, **"The wench knows not who she trifles. In the end she is nothing but prey like all others."**

With strength Liam never knew he had, his fist rocketed down into the ice below them. Large splinters of ice broke from the sheet as his fist and it met with each other. At first nothing else seemed to happen, but after a few baritone cracks the ice below them shifted.

Liams heartbeat finally seemed to stop as he felt water rush by his sides. On top of him Lamae held on with the same manic smile stretched across her face. Instead of leaving him to his fate Lamae leaned down and latched onto his neck once again.

Again Liam felt a pinch on his neck. Unlike before however, he felt a wave of cold burst from the wound. It was almost as if she was pouring liquid ice into his veins. Suffice to say it distracted from the ice-cold water below.

Nothing was there that night to see any of these events unfold. Nothing would see a drenched woman carry a young child out of the water onto the shore. Nothing would see her lay a small black book on his chest. Nothing would be there, except for the moon.

**AN:** Alright then folks that's chapter one. I hope you enjoyed. My main inspiration for this fic was getting back into Skyrim again and Frank from the PJOs series. A lot of things just fit so well together and I had to try to put them together. What did you guys think of this story so far? Tell me in a Review or a PM and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Other than that I'm open to any and all criticism so lay it on me.

(1): 'Soarta ta așteaptă!' is basically spooky Romanian foreshadowing. It directly translates to 'Your fate awaits!'

(2): This is a quote from the short poem Invictus which helps to show some of how I'm developing Liam as a character. He's mainly going to be ruled by wanting to always be in control of everything in his life and he will hate not having that control. It fits well with the lore and fits what I need to write a character, i.e. a defining feature and some type of conflict with it. This will be elaborated later on and a few of you may be able to guess who he gets this from.

(3): Lamae Bal the first vampire. You can look her up if you want although it does spoil some stuff about this story if you do so be warned. I'll just mention that her transformation into one was dreadful and to be honest Liam got off easy. Let's just say if he didn't break that ice he and Lamae would have been getting much better acquainted...She tends to brutally rape those she turns into vampires unless they're joining her **spoiler. **Seriously that's how she turned her first three, although I'm thinking about changing some things as I need to fit with this story.

~ciao


	2. Some New Additions

**Edit: Fixed some minor grammar and spelling errors after reading through it again**

**AN:** Wow I got a surprising amount of reviews for the first chapter of this. I should have put it up earlier. I completed it a long time ago, but as I didn't want it to be a one-shot (and A Hungering Soul being my main focus) I decided to wait. Other than that I'll respond to the guest reviews real quick.

Guest #1: Thanks for the review. I tried my best to set it up for people to be able to tell if they knew the lore and or wanted to look into it. The suspense is still there, but I can definitely see how you like my foreshadowing.

Guest #2: There's definitely some more stuff from the Elder Scrolls that is going to show up. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but there will be more of it in the future. Other than that I'd rather try not to get into the specifics of when Vivic lost his head and got to have some "fun" with Molag Bal. That whole debacle is some of the weirdest lore I've ever read. Although I bet there is much weirder.

Peter: Thanks for the review, I'll try and keep it coming as my schedule allows.

Other than if you guys have an account I usually respond via a PM and the same warnings still apply. ~enjoy.

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

Some New Additions

It was supposed to be a completely normal shift for Henry. Looking at the cracked ice and the boy laying on the side of the lake, Henry was starting to think differently. With a speed that he never knew he had Henry bounded over to the edge of the ice, where the boy laid.

As the freshly lain snow crumpled underneath leather boots, Henry finally reached the boy. Looking at him closer a single thought ran through his head.

_He's...he's dead. _Thought Henry as his visage slowly shifted in horror.

The boy's body was soaking wet and unnaturally pale. One could even think that he hasn't seen a day of sunlight in his entire life. Looking down at where he stood the groundskeeper could see his coal-colored hair was swirled backward. Almost like someone had brushed it or messed with it recently.

The only other thing that really stuck out on the boy was a small black book that sat on his chest. The book itself looked to be made out of some type of weird leather. The kid was grasping it tightly with his left hand while the only words being visible on the front were etched in some type of alien-looking language.

_Hieroglyphs? _He thought while looking down at the little black book.

All of a sudden, the boy's hand twitched followed by him letting out a low groan in his sleep. A hopeful smile came onto the groundskeepers' face as he leaned down towards the boy while muttering, "Come on. You better be still kicking kid or so help me God!"

Just as Henry's hand touched the kid's snow-kissed skin, the groundskeeper felt a bone-chilling cold similar to the air from the previous night. A few thoughts flashed through Henry's mind before he decided to try and get him out of the snow at least.

Leaning down to pull the boy out of the snowbank, he started to have some more doubts as to the boy's liveliness. A gnarled hand met wet cloth as Henry pulled the youngster upright with a mighty tug.

Instinctively, Liam's body forced itself awake as he came into view of an elderly man dressed in thick overalls. The main looked to be in the sunset years of his life with his thinned, white hair. Like the hand pulling on Liam's arm the rest of his skin was just a gnarled with age. Liam's brain started to slowly turn back on as he jumped to his feet knocking the poor man backward.

Panicked brown eyes searched the park for any sign of the woman from before followed by a noticeable drop towards the downed man in front of them.

Liam felt the short burst of adrenaline leave his body before he let out a slow draw of breath. Surprisingly, it didn't expel any steam into the cold morning air. Henry looked back up to the kid from where he sat ass down in the snow then chuckled good naturally.

"Ha, I guess that answers that then!" cheered Henry.

Henry brought one leg over another as he pushed himself off the ground and back onto his feet. Having seen what he did, Liam gulped down some saliva then quietly blurted, "Sorry, uh...I gotta go!"

Two bushy eyebrows furrowed as Liam turned tail and sprinted out towards the nearby gate. Behind him, the groundskeeper took a few laborious steps towards him and yelled, "Wait Laddie, you gotta get s-" Liam couldn't hear any more of it as he ran past the metal gate into the busy streets of New York.

-West Avenue Two Blocks from Liam's House-

Liam's sprint finally came to an end as he leaned down putting both of his hands on his knees in the middle of the street. Labored breaths traveled out of his mouth as Liam brought part of the crowd to a stop.

A middle-aged man abruptly stopped with an angry look marring his features. His scowl turned a little vicious as he looked at what stopped him. _A kid. A fucking kid. _He thought.

The man pulled down his designer suit's tie, opened his mouth, and growled "Get the hell out of the way! I got places to be!"

Liam stopped his panting to look up at who just yelled at him; a few things escaped his mind as he mindless walked closer to the edge of the street and away from the rude person. Not thinking much about it Liam tried to get a bearing on where he was.

After a short walk and finding a helpful green sign (see street saying saying 'West Avenue'), Liam started a mindless drone towards the only place he could think of to get some type of help. At the time he didn't notice but the bone-chilling cold that seemed to be driving everyone around him into a quick pace didn't affect him much at all.

Sneakers impacted cold concrete as Liam looked down at what was gripped in his palm. Slowly but surely he brought the thing up to his face. His eyebrows scrunched as he finally gained sight of the small black book.

_A book? _He thought. One second passed before he continued with, _I didn't even notice._

Curiously Liam turned the book around to its front cover as he continued on with his mindless trudge towards his house. The front of the book had large winding symbols that seemed to stretch on for two different lines.

One of his fingers traced the outlandish lettering as Liam let out an audible, "Hmmm..."

The symbols almost seemed to sway as Liam continued to stare at them. The one farthest to the left swayed outwards as an English parallel formed from each consecutive symbol. Liam's eyes widened as the title of the book slowly started to reveal itself.

From the back of his mind, a voice called out, declaring **The dialect of change, an interesting find.** (1)

Liam did his best to ignore it like always. In the past at one point, he tried to talk to it but that only ended up making the situation worse, much worse.

One tense second passed then the words finally became fully legible to Liam's eyes. The now thick black scrawl read, 'The Book of Daedra' in modern-day English. Almost immediately Liam's eyebrows scrunched up as he whispered, "What in the hell is going on..." under his breath.

Trying his best to navigate while flipping open the book, Liam took a peek inside. Curiosity is a killer but he sure as hell isn't a cat. The weathered cover opened to large blocks of text underneath a mystical drawing.

On the first page was a woman, no a statue of a woman. The statue was made of a gray stone that had a sharp contrast when compared to the snowy expanse behind it. The woman depicted almost seemed to be looking down upon the reader as large birds flew around the crown of her head.

In her left hand, she appeared to be holding some type of sickle. _A crescent moon? _Thought Liam. While in the statue's other hand there was some type of eight-pointed object held high into the sky. One of the kris shaped points was broken off at the tip.

Looking down to the hastily written scrawl below Liam read the name 'Azura, whose sphere is-' before an image was pushed to the forefront of his mind.

He saw the almost lifelike visage of a gray-skinned, pointy-eared woman with glowing purple eyes before it quickly faded leaving him alone with the book once again. Alarmed, Liam hurriedly shut the book with a small snap.

_I-I just need to go home. _He thought in disbelief.

Slowly but surely he made his way through the final two blocks before he came up on his street. Up and to his left was a small green sign the read, 'Grove Street' in big white letters on a green background. Letting out a sigh of relief, Liam started to walk down a familiar sidewalk while looking at a brick house squashed in between two others.

It didn't look like much for some people but just owning your own property in New York was ridiculous in the first place. Liam's father always said things about how he got this house due to some deal with a local bank but Liam really didn't understand much about it.

The house itself was two stories with a red-tiled roof that matched the coloring of the inlaid bricks which made up the walls. The front door was put directly in the middle of the street-facing wall while a small porch connected to some stairs lead down to the street.

Minding the small gap between the short stack of stairs and the street, Liam started his walk up to the door. There was a small glass screen door outside that had the words 'Davis Residence' printed in large glossy letters.

Bringing one hand up to the screen door Liam turned the handle and pulled. As the screen door unhinged Liam let out a sigh of relief. _Maybe they won't notice. _He thought.

Liam pulled the screen door towards himself trying to be as quiet as possible. Almost immediately, he heard some sounds from inside the house. The brick and mortar blocked most of it but from where Liam was it could only be described as frantic yelling.

Inside the home, one Olivia Davis stood with her hands on her hips; the woman's face was scrunched up in a mixture of fear and anger. She had dirty blonde hair that went flowed all the way down to her hips and a light blue dress that seemed too homey for where they lived. If you were to look at her you could see the years were slowly getting to her through small wrinkles and laugh lines, but despite being well over thirty she still looked great.

Liam's mother brought one of her hands off of her hips and slammed it down onto a nearby table then yelled, "What do you mean you don't know?!"

Across the room sat Carter Davis, a middle-aged man with scruffy black hair. His facial features were sharper when compared to his wife's but he still had some of his youthful flare, at least he liked to think so. In his left hand was a steaming cup of coffee while in his right was a black tie.

Liam's father put the cup down on their kitchen table and started to mess with his tie. After securing it in place, he responded with, "I said I don't know! I got a call from the school this morning, but he's just nowhere to found."

Olivia ruffled her hair in exasperation then worried, "What if...what if he got lost?"

"What if he's hurt..." she continued with a growing look of fear on her face.

The look of terror reached it's crescendo as she frantically fretted, "What if my baby's dead!"

_Why do I gotta deal with this before work?_ Thought Carter as he finished up tying his tie. Leaning forward to grab his cup, Liam's father took a long sip of the French-Vanilla flavored coffee in his cup. He let out a long sigh before replying with, "I'll report it...just do me a favor please and don't panic."

Liam's mother looked at the ceiling for a moment and let out a small hum. As she brought her eyes back down she quietly whimpered, "I...I just don't know what to do. I talked to Sam and he sounded worried. He said that he didn't see him at all after Liam got called down." (2)

Carter walked over to his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulder then told her, "Honey, don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll show up at some point; he should be fine. Just think about something positive; he's turning twelve soon."

A few footsteps tried to sneak by in the middle of their conversation to no avail. The main door to the Davis residence stood open as Liam's feet stopped dead in their tracks. His mouth drew itself open as two pairs of eyes landed on his body.

_Uh, oh. _Thought Liam.

From the kitchen, Liam's mother pushed Carter's hands off of her then dashed into the hallway where Liam stood. Breathing heavily Olivia's eyes stared down at her son with an almost distraught gaze. Three solid seconds of silence followed.

…

…

…

"Where have you been!?" yelled Liam's mother as she grabbed him on his shoulder.

Her mind was going a thousand miles an hour as she tried to take in the situation. The first thing she noticed was that his winter coat was sopping wet and almost freezing. Underneath her fingertips, she could feel small bubbles of water get pushed out from the thick cloth as she squeezed.

She pulled him closer and touched the side of his cheek. "It's cold," she muttered. Her anger started to go away as her motherly instincts took over.

In the kitchen, Liam's father stood slack-jawed at the display. He looked down at the now soggy carpet the bit his lip. He took another long sip from his coffee before making a mental note to clean it up later. Standing up from the kitchen's main table Carter headed over towards where his wife and son stood.

Meanwhile, Liam finally noticed the look on his father's face. It was one he's seen a lot more recently, ever since he got kicked out of his first school. Pursed lips and narrowed eyes greeted him as Carter ended the short walk from the kitchen into the hall.

Immediately Liam pulled away from his mother, much to her distress. Liam's father gave him a once over then calmly asked: "Where were you?"

"Out..." answered Liam as a dreadful look came over his face.

Liam's father straightened his back then walked directly in front of his son. Behind him, Olivia stood watching with a grimace on her face. She didn't like the way Carter dealt with things like this, not one bit. _Always the disciplinarian. _She thought.

"That so..." drawled Liam's father.

Liam gulped down a glob of saliva then gave a small nod. His father turned back towards the kitchen. Just as he reached the table once more Carter looked over his shoulder and said, "We'll talk about this later. Go get cleaned up."

Liam almost seemed to shoot up the stairwell towards his room as his father finished. Liam's mother looking quite miffed commented, "Why do you always gotta act like that?"

"Someone has to do it, and I know you won't. If being the-" He brought his two forefingers up and scrunched them. "-bad guy sets him straight then so be it." explained Carter.

Olivia's eyebrows drooped as she replied with, "Yeah and what if it doesn't? What then?"

"We'll get to that if it comes to it. My dad was always right about stuff like this you know. Just be a little strict now, and he'll be better off later." he deflected.

Olivia raised her hand with her pointer finger outstretched and began to respond but thought better of it. Her mouth closed as she slowly turned to the stairs leading up to the second story of their home. Letting out a sigh she thought _He wouldn't listen anyway._

-Liam's Room, Second Story-

It only took Liam about half an hour to get 'cleaned up' like his father told him to. The first thing he did when he got to his bedroom was go straight into his bathroom. After a short walk across a rather large room, for New York at least, Liam pulled open the wooden door leading into where his mind would be blown out of the water once more.

His bathroom was the smallest out of all of the lavatories in the house. It was about the size of a walk-in closet with a standing shower and a toilet on opposite ends of the space. In the middle, more towards the toilet, there was a small sink with cabinet doors below it.

Above that sink was a mirror.

The first thing Liam did after closing the door behind him was to try and force off his sopping wet clothes. After a few irritating seconds of thick winter wear sticking to damp skin, Liam succeeded.

Unceremoniously, Liam threw the bundle of clothes onto the tiled floor. It landed with an audible, 'Plop!'

_I'm not even cold..._thought Liam still trying to deny the happenings as of late.

After getting a pristine white towel out from underneath the sink, Liam walked into his shower and began to mess with the metal dial inside. Without thinking much of it, he turned the dial towards the left closer to the imprinted word, 'Hot.'

Leaning down towards the knob to turn on the water Liam thought, _Just don't worry about it. I'm fine._

Slowly but surely, the knob was loosened as it let out a few small creaks. A second passed, then two.

Unsure brown eyes looked up at the showerhead above them as Liam muttered, "What the hell..."

As the dial reached the farthest it could go the Liam could have sworn he could hear something sloshing around before a scalding heat hit him straight in the face. Liam's hands latched onto his face as he let a growling hiss.

Instinctively, Liam's body pushed itself backward as the sound of glass breaking echoed into the house. Liam's head rocketed towards the ground as a small piece of glass cut into his right foot. Time seemed to slow for him as his body twisted around, and Liam landed with both of his hands below his body.

The water flowing in the shower started to quickly bleed as red as a ruby as a thick substance dripped from Liam's foot. Almost immediately, Liam's nose scrunched up as he picked up the smell of something unsavory.

It smelled like something rotten, or better yet unclean. (3)

From outside in the hall, Liam's mother called out, "Honey are you alright? I heard some noise."

Pushing himself upwards and away from the mess of blood, water, and glass, Liam replied, "I'm fine Mom! I just, uh...I had a cup of water and dropped it. Y-Yeah."

Outside his door, a frown came over Olivia's face as she said, "Be more careful, I don't want you getting hurt!" before heading down towards the master bedroom.

The damage to the shower was substantial; the top glass pane making up the door was lying in ruins while the one below it looked fractured enough that a small wind could blow it out. Well, nothing a little duct tape and love couldn't fix.

On the floor, Liam slowly pulled himself up and onto his bottom. As quietly as he could muster, he looked down at his foot. His apprehensive eyes calmed as Liam gazed at the wound.

The back of his heel was cut open and from where he was holding it Liam could see the pink flesh of the wound in his heel. As he stared closer, Liam thought _It's not bleeding?_

It looked like after the initial spill nothing more came out of it besides sharp pain.

"O-Okay Liam, come on...I just gotta get it out." gasped Liam as he brought his hands towards his foot.

With his left hand, Liam wrapped his fingers around the foot's ankle while with his right he grabbed onto the embedded piece of glass. In his head, Liam counted, _One...two...three!_ Then with a sharp tug, he pulled the shard out.

Brown eyes took on a red tinge as a wave of pain, hit Liam upside his face with a frying pan. He let out a loud gasp as the shard of overcooked sand was finally wrenched free of his foot. Speedily breathing in and out, Liam brought the annoyance in front of his face.

The shard was covered in cold blood that seemed to make the crystalline structure look like some type of ruby in Liam's pain addled mind. Thoughtlessly Liam stared into the crystal as the waves of sharp pain started to fade away.

In the piece of glass, the reflection of Liam's eye showed him more of the truth he was refusing to accept.

His left eye was glowing a cardinal hue, matching the color of the blood all around his bathroom. At first, he refused to acknowledge it at all. Adrenaline was still pumping through his mind and he thought, _It's just the blood...right?_ In disbelief.

Standing up to his full height, around five foot six inches, Liam's still glowering eyes centered in on the mirror above his sink. He let out a low sigh and muttered, "Goddammit." as his face was revealed in full.

To most, it would still look fairly normal for someone of his age for all except two things, his skin and his eyes. All over his skin was deathly pale as if he hadn't seen the sun in years; while his eyes were still glowing a hateful red reflecting off of the mirror. (4)

Anxiously, one of Liam's hands pivoted up towards his mouth.

"Please...please just let this all be some bad dream." prayed Liam as his finger curled underneath his lip.

His hand started to shake as he brought the lip up to reveal his top row of teeth beneath it. The building fear in Liam's stomach reached its conclusion as his teeth greeted the world or rather two of them.

Lying over his gum-line were two large fangs, similar enough to his incisors to be recognized as actual teeth yet much, much longer. The two over-sized canines looked like they were inlaid within his gum line; instinctively, Liam flexed a muscle in his mouth he didn't know he had.

The two fangs shot forward running a line over his gums directly on top of the incisors of his top row of teeth. They stretched about three inches long and looked sharp enough to rip out someone's throat. Liam brought his free hand over and gently touched the tip of one of his new additions.

As soon as pale skin met razor-sharp fang, Liam felt a small prick followed by a droplet of blood dripping from his fingertip into the waiting sink below. Too shell shocked to check on his wound Liam blankly stared at his reflection in the mirror.

If he were to check, he'd see it was already healed.

**AN:** Well Lads and Laddettes that was chapter two of A Different Type of God. In this chapter, I tried to focus on three main things. The first was Liam's reaction or rather refusal of being turned into a vampire. I tried my best to make it believable for what a rather young kid would do if he couldn't turn to anyone but himself.

The second thing I focused on was setting up Liam's family. I ended up scrapping a scene with Liam's father and mother that expanded upon why Carter acts like that as it threw off the pacing. I may put it in as an extra next chapter if you guys want to see it at the end.

The third thing I tried to get down was the ending scene with Liam being forced into his vampirism. I tried my best to ramp up the horror aspects although I don't know how well I did on them so if you think it's good or bad tell me in a review or a PM and I'll get back to you.

One last thing before I move onto the citations what would you guys think about me making a discord or something similar to announce when my chapters are coming out as well as just talking about writing or reading stuff in general? If I had somewhere along the lines of five people that wanted to do it, I wouldn't mind making one. It would just be a place of open discussion where you could promote your own stuff, talk about stuff I've written (or other people if you want), etc. I'm thinking of putting up a poll on it with Yea V Nay as the options. Tell me what you guys think of all that if you've got the time. Other than that it's time to go onto the citations.

(1) It's written in the Daedric Alphabet. It's really common in the Elder Scrolls as a series and works well for what I want it to do in the future so it's gonna be a semi-important plot point. The book itself is an actual book from the Elder Scrolls series so look up "The Book of Daedra" if you want to read it. Be warned it does spoil some things if you care about that.

(2) This is a spoiler skip this one if you care about that stuff. This is a reference to one of Liam's only two school friends, Sam Greenwood. He has some more about him if you look him up so you can do that if you wish, but it once again has more spoilers

(3) This is Liam smelling his own blood. After doing a bit of research I thought I would have to clarify on it. Anything that is not considered 'Mortal' any longer has a foul stench to most Vampires and cannot be used to sate their hunger. It's not the most important thing, but some people might have thought I was talking about something else. A lot of the lore is confusing at times so I have to make my own head cannon about certain things. This one was a semi-hard choice.

(4) I'm clarifying this scene some because I cut out part of it that went into greater detail on his eyes. His eyes are eerily similar to Lamae's from the previous chapter, red veins included. The reason I cut it down was that it flowed better than having a few paragraphs describe one thing and followed by the conclusion, i.e. it brought the tension down too much.

Other than that I'm always open to criticism if you guys have any. If you know anything about the lore I got wrong feel free to correct me on that too as I don't know everything. Or if you just wanna give some ideas on where you think this could go feel free to hit me up, I'll respond as soon as I can. See you guys next time!

~ciao


	3. A Book and Some Blood

**AN: **Well Ladies and Gentlemen, let's get this show on the road! Let's see some of that "other side" of New York City yeah? ~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

A Book and Some Blood

Later that night, Liam was sitting in his bedroom with the only light in his room being from a fluorescent lamp on his nightstand. He was sitting halfway off his bed next to the lamp with a small black book in his hands.

The same book from before.

It was around eight o'clock at night by now and the rest of the Davis family was still as busy as can be. Liam's mother, Olivia, was downstairs in her 'Art studio' as she liked to call it. Unfortunately for her, no one else would see it that way.

The room itself looked like a revamped bedroom with a large table in its center and plastic sheets covering the floor. Olivia spent most of her days in there painting away at what she called her 'Abstract' art which was nothing more than semi-recognizable splotches of paint on a canvas.

But hey, who cares? It sells better than anything else she could do with her art degree.

Liam's father, Carter, was around a block away at the Deustsche Bank just South of the World Trade Center. It was a small place made of a mix of brick on the outside and wood on the inside. Carter was the reason most of the money came into their household.

He would be there till eleven P.M., upon which he would return home to a distraught wife and a once again missing son.

Although right now he didn't know any of that; he was more worried about the talk around the office that there was going to be a company merger soon and some of the less competent people are going to be out of a job. Hopefully, Carter wasn't going to end up as one of them.

None of this would really matter to Liam though, not for a long while.

As Liam sat in the dim light of his bedroom, one of his hands slowly pulled the leather cover of 'The Book of Daedra' open. _Maybe it can help with...this. _Liam thought still a little shell shocked from before.

His brown eyes flashed a grisly crimson as he continued by growling, "She left it, after all."

Meeting Liam's face was the same statue from before, and as he began to read the line of text below it, he only became more confused.

_Azura, whose sphere is dusk and dawn, the magic in-between realms of twilight, known as Moonshadow, Mother of the Rose, and Queen of the Night Sky _read Liam in his head.

Unlike before he didn't get any vision or much of anything from the unwanted commentator in his head. The black scrawl had what looked like more recent handwriting to it's left. It was comparable to what someone would write when taking notes.

Overall the paragraph looked like it was just a jumbled mess of thoughts and one-liners. The only two things that stood out were the words Aetherius, which was crossed out, and the word Oblivion which was circled in blue ink.

"Looks like someone's done their homework," commented Liam as he flipped it over to the next page.

The next few pages went on and on about describing the star in the woman's hand and theoretical uses of it with a name signed at the bottom. Written in a bright blue that contrasted horribly with the otherwise bleak tome was the name 'Malyn Varen'.

The first thing Liam thought was, _What kinda name is that? _followed by the want to get a dictionary.

Throughout the section dedicated to what was aptly named Azura's Star Varen used words and terms that Liam would have no trouble admitting he had no idea of what they meant. That's without even getting into that it was mostly more drabble about Varen's want to beat death than anything else.

As Liam pieced his way to the bottom of the page, he came across another name. Arkay...or as Varen liked to refer to him, Arkay the enemy in reference to someone named the King of Worms. Suffice to say it was a jumbled mess. (1)

Interrupting his read was the grave voice that seethed, **A pathetic excuse for a god.**

_A god?_ Asked Liam pushing up his left eyebrow despite his early reservations.

The voice didn't answer.

After trying once more to get into it, Liam gave up and began to skim the titles for anything about his current condition. The writing was above what he could really understand besides the basic description of the now named gods.

_It's better than doing nothing at least. _Thought Liam as he flipped another page.

The second being that had a section of the book dedicated to it was one named Boethiah. This drawing once again was of a statue, but unlike the other, it gave the viewer a keen sense of trepidation just from viewing it.

It was a woman...or a man, Liam couldn't quite tell. After looking down at the rippling muscles on the being's chest Liam decided to call them a man. In the man's right hand he was holding a broad two-sided ax which he hefted high into the air.

The god's face was split by a sadistic smile, while their gray skin had thick lines of blood that fell to either side of their face. As Liam's eyes traveled up the ax's head, he could see where the blood came from.

Just out of the pictures frame a bloody body stood with its face pitched in utter horror.

Quickly Liam skimmed the description and notes below but ultimately found nothing worthwhile. It was only more of the same blue penned clutter that filled the previous pages only this time it was in mention of some tournament and how he could ask for a boon.

Time seemed to speed by as Liam took a quick glance at each section of the book in front of him.

The Prince of Bargains.

The Tentacled BookKeeper.

The Huntsman.

The Outcast.

The Father of Change.

The Spider Queen.

The Pure One.

Followed by one who would catch Liam's eyes. The name written across the top of that fateful page was 'Molag Bal' with a drawing like each of the others.

The thing's head was raised high with two large horns coming from its temples. Behind him, he held a thick mace that had a multitude of spikes that jutted off in every which way. The mace itself had a close likeliness to the creature's face.

And what a face it was.

The gnarled, almost blue, skin was sunken into two horrible blue eyes which seemed to glow on the page. It's nose looked like it had something in common with Voldemort while the thing's set of needle-like teeth wouldn't be doing it any favors at the dentist. (2)

The beast looked powerful sure, but whenever Liam looked into the drawings feel a little sick to his stomach, like it was only staring at the next morsel on its plate. Slowly, Liam's eyes were drawn to the description beneath the image.

Liam's mouth opened then read, "Molag Bal, whose sphere is the domination and enslavement of mortals..." Liam stopped himself for a second then thought _Why do all the weird gods in this book have to be so awful?_

Continuing where he left off Liam uttered, "whose desire is to harvest the souls of mortals and to bring mortals souls within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms."

Not thinking much of it compared to the other abominable gods, Liam looked down at Varen's notes below. It looked like he finally got a lead. Underlined with a question mark after it was the word 'Vampirism' in big letters.

_It's a possibility. _Wrote Varen.

_I would forever damn my soul to the shores of Coldharbour should I fail, but the ritual should still exist somewhere._ He continued.

Below that line was a small drawing of an altar filled to the brim with what looked like blood, a small list of ingredients, and a date on which to "spill the blood of the weak and feeble."

Written shortly after that was what could only be described as absolutely vile.

_I'd also need a virgin woman, which could be a problem. She would also need to be in the age of the majority which makes that selection much more hard to find. Although I would assume they don't need to be willing to spend a night with the 'King of Rape' after all. _Recorded Varen in the same research like tone.

The ritual itself wasn't described in great detail, but it would be considered much more than demeaning as Varen described it. _Scarring would be a better term for it. _Thought Liam with a look of disgust on his face.

The described ceremony would involve the woman being raped so brutally that almost none who underwent the endeavor would survive. They would come back a bloodthirsty vampire and would enter what was described as a blood rage upon which they would attempt to do what was just done upon them to any mortal around.

It was disgusting.

Almost not being able to stomach it, Liam flipped to the next page which was discussing more about what happens when one actually becomes a vampire.

_It acts as a disease to most, the different strains of the disease cause different forms of Vampirism as well. After two to three days those infected well...they die. Shortly after death, their bodies rise to become newborn fledglings with a thirst for blood. Unlike what happens to the aforementioned Daughters of Coldharbour. _Noted Varen keeping up his search for immortality like always.

With another mention of the substance, Liam subconsciously swallowed his spit. In the back of his throat, Liam felt a small itch, nothing much right now but it was there all the same. It almost felt like someone was dragging a small feather along the back of his throat and it burned.

The feeling wasn't unbearable, but it was surely uncomfortable.

By this time it was almost nine-thirty at night. Outside for the first time in what seemed like months, the snow stopped falling in the streets of New York as people and vagrants alike came out underneath the stars.

Liam's mother was sitting on a recliner in the house's living room. In front of her, their house's main television was turned down low playing Hallmark reruns due to the coming Holiday season. The room was fairly close to the door leading the garage.

-Outside the Davis Family Home-

Meekrat always hated the cold. It bit and stung but unlike the yellow things when the flowers were about the cold could kill. It had to get out of it somehow. The little creature looked at the falling flakes of ice and let out a high pitched hiss. It looked like it was finally starting to let up.

He had fur, but without some way to get out the freezing cold Meekrat would surely freeze!

Coming out of the alleyway, the creature saw a light in the distance. A small yellow thing from within a red-stoned human hobble. It's scaled face stretched into a wide smile as its stomach growled. _Food and Warmth _thought the beast.

The little monster absentmindedly licked one of its claws while looking for a way to get in the place. It's pale yellow eyes shot up to where the light was on the second story before thinking, _No. Glass break, loud noise...attract more human._

The snow below its clawed feet crunched as the creature trudged towards the other side of the house. After a quick look-see for the big door a lot of the human houses have, Meekrat bounded towards it.

_Meekrat small and Meekrat smart_ the monster declared before it thought back to its other hunts.

Human's always leave something open to let him in, and when they do...Meekrat gets his fill. His long tongue snaked between his razor-sharp teeth before being pulled quickly back into the orifice from which it came. It would only take a few seconds.

Using his claws to fit underneath the garage door, Meekrat strained his muscles and pulled it upward. The metal gave out a solemn creak as the creature slid underneath the door and into the dark garage. In the darkness, two yellow eyes blinked.

As his eyes came into focus, Meekrat saw through lady Nocturnal's cloak. The darkness melted away to reveal an empty room with nothing in it but a door and a snow shovel leaned up against the wall, not that Meekrat would know what it is.

The scaly beast ambled over to the door and reached for the handle, with one pull Meekrat knew something was wrong.

Worried he thought _Why no open?_

The small creature's muscles bulged as the metal handle let out a few creaks. The inhuman thing scowled to the best of its abilities before letting out a low growl. Bringing up its other hand Meekrat gripped the handle and with a loud hiss pulled as hard as he could.

The handle being made of some type of aluminum didn't take kindly to that.

A deafening clang rang out in the darkness as the handle broke off the door onto the concrete floor below. Surprised, Meekrat jumped backward away from where he stood. From inside the house, a distinctively female voice called out, "Liam was that you honey?"

Above where Meekrat stood, he could hear the boisterous footsteps of a man-child followed by a younger voice answering the other one by saying, "No mom, what's wrong?"

Quickly, Meekrat looked around before eyeing a lone light-bulb on hanging from the top of the room; a smile came over his face. As the footsteps and voices got closer Meekrat slowly drew himself into the darkness; his brothers who made fun of his darker colored fur and scales would rue the day!

-Davis Residence's, Kitchen-

Liam and his mother Olivia were both standing inside their house's kitchen; Liam's mother had a worried look on her face as she went to answer her son's question. She walked towards the kitchen's main counter while answering, "I don't know; I think I heard something coming from the garage."

The slightly tense expression on Liam's face started to melt away as he responded with "Mom it's probably just a raccoon again. You know they always get into stuff when winter comes around."

His mother's look didn't change as she continued to pace around the room. She was always one to overly worry about things. Liam's father would call it cute, but Liam found it annoying at times. He walked over to a nearby drawer and pulled it open as an idea came to mind.

The wooden drawer rolled on the wheels hidden underneath it to reveal a large host of kitchen utensils. Knives, vegetable peelers, an assortment of spatulas, a cheese grater, and even a meat tenderizer. Liam's hand gripped the wooden handle of a chef's knife before he thought better of it.

Slowly his eyes traveled over to what looked like a large chunk of stainless steel on a stick, the tenderizer. It was shaped like an abnormally large hammer, almost like a shortened version of a sledgehammer but one side had small metal spikes on it.

"Just go sit down mom. I'll scare it out of there," reassured Liam as he hefted the impromptu mace in one hand.

As he looked at it Liam thought _It'll do better than a broom at least; I'd just break that._

Olivia looked over, cocked her head, then fretted, "But what if it has rabies or something...just leave it alone. I'll get your Dad to deal with it when he gets back in, he'll-"

Liam cut her off by saying, "Mom, It's probably just a coon. I'll just swing this thing around and yell a bit then it'll run off! Come on, I'm not so little anymore. My twelfth birthday is tomorrow too!"

After taking a few seconds to think Olivia thought _It couldn't hurt; it's just that...fine then._

She missed the days when Liam would always rely on her and Carter for everything, back when he was still just her little boy. Ever since he'd first gotten kicked out of Lowman's, a local private school, Liam tried his best to not rely on them.

That was when Carter started being more strict, but what did she expect to happen? Liam tried to blame it all on a "voice" in his head that told him to do it. A grimace came onto her face at the thought of that.

She raised him better than to be a liar.

"Fine, just be careful and if there is something out there just..." Liam's mother stopped mid-sentence and put a finger up to her lip.

She brought her hand back down to her side and cautioned, "Just be careful, Liam."

With his freehand Liam nervously scratched his cheek then reassured her by saying, "I will, I will."

Olivia let out a low sigh then pulled out an embroidered chair from underneath the kitchen table. After giving a few more glances towards the door leading to the garage and Liam she sat down and pulled her phone out from her dress pocket.

_It's better to be safe. _She thought while her fingers tapped away at a possible pest control service in case something went wrong.

Meanwhile, Liam was already heading towards his garage's side door. The door was the same thickness as the one on the front of their brick house; unlike the front door however, this one was made of a mix of metal and wood. It also had no window from which to peek through.

Liam brought the hand not holding his makeshift weapon down towards the doors handle. Two fingers pinched a small knob that was connected to do the door's locking mechanism before turning to the right. As they did so a small "click!" broke the silence.

_Alright, all I gotta do is turn on the lights and make some noise. Should be enough to get the thing out of there. _Thought Liam as he quietly opened the metal door.

The metal door's hinges groaned in complaint as rusted metal ground against itself. It took a few seconds for Liam's eyes to adjust to the darkness but as the room revealed itself to him he noticed something new.

The absence of light didn't seem to be all that dark to him anymore.

From where he stood Liam could see the outline of the room as well as the snow shovel across, on the other side. Looking down Liam could see the switch from the kitchen's light to a more black hue as things slowly shifted to gray.

To the right of the door was what looked like a mangled piece of metal; turning towards it Liam muttered, "What's that?" under his breath.

Deciding to turn on the light despite his newfound range of vision, Liam reached one of his hands upwards towards the nearby light switch. His finger came into cold plastic before it pushed upwards. Above Liam a small spark was let out, briefly dropping to the floor before disappearing.

_Oh, great. Thought_ Liam as a small pout came over his lips.

Liam's eyes briefly looked up towards the garage's single light. From the ceiling, there was a small black cord that dropped down with a light fixture at the end of the appliance. It seemed that something broke the light bulb out as glass littered the concrete under it and the metal part of the light was sharply bent.

Absentmindedly Liam stared into the darkness above the light-bulb, when something caught his attention. There were two pale yellow eyes staring back at him. Right above the light-bulb intermingled with the dark cloak of the night was some type of monster.

Liam's eyes blinked owlishly at the thing.

The creature was about the size of a small child; it looked like the mix of some demon and a lizard. It's lower body was covered in a thin layer of black fur while the monster's feet had long black claws that curled around the wire hanging from the ceiling.

It had some type of tail that snaked around flailing without purpose as the beast hung there mid-air as well. The top of its body was covered in muscles and scales. It was almost humanoid in a way as well with it having two long arms and a head.

The creature's arms ended in black pointed claws much like its feet while the thing's face was just as horrid. Its mouth was stretched wide into a grueling smile while a red tongue snaked through needle-like teeth every few seconds.

Liam's muscles tensed as he stopped staring at the monstrosity and exclaimed, "What in the hell is that thing!"

Answering his question the voice commented, **A Scamp. One of Dagon's ilk, a stray by the looks of it. **(3)

Liam had less than a second to react before the Scamp threw itself from its perch right towards his face. Liam's body met cold concrete as he pushed himself to the side just before the creature landed where he stood.

With little effort, it landed upright on its feet before pulling the door shut through the hole left from the handle. The thing let out a low growl as it turned back towards its prey, eyeing down the morsel before it.

From where he landed Liam glared at the hellion before the voice called out once more saying, **Their kind are weaklings, crush it.**

In the darkness, Liam's eyes shifted to crimson as he stood back up to his full height. Slowly, Liam began to feel a familiar anger bubble in his chest as the creature seemed to jeer at him. A hand tightened around an impromptu club in fury.

With its natural agility, the Scamp bounded over towards Liam with its claws outstretched. Interrupting the creature's rush, the boy brought the meat tenderizer over his head and down onto the Scamp's shoulder just before it reached him.

A look of surprise briefly showed on the creature's face before it went flying towards the side. As the weapon met the Scamp's shoulder, it's bones buckled underneath the force it gave with a sickening crunch.

Now, the stainless steel was covered in ripped skin and blood.

Liam's nose scrunched itself up at the sulfuric smell coming from the blood. It smelled of rotten eggs and burnt food. Almost like someone overcooked meat while a gas line was leaking; either way, it wasn't a good combination. _Gross_. Thought Liam in a moment of clarity.

On the ground in front of him the monster let out a whimper; Liam came back to what was currently happening. It looked like the thing was cowering as the Scamp covered its uninjured limb over its body. In actuality, it wasn't at all.

It was nothing but a trick.

Standing over the Scamp, Liam hefted his club upwards before hesitating. _Why isn't it running? _Thought Liam.

Below him, the creature let out a series of low growls that could almost pass for a laugh before the smell of sulfur increased ten-fold. At its blackened fingertips small licks of flame formed before coalescing into a bright ball that lit up the room.

As quickly as the fireball formed it launched itself forward directly to Liam's face. Feeling the heat the boy's body twisted to the best of its abilities to try and avoid the fire. A blazing heat came from Liam's left cheek as he barely moved his head out of the way.

The Scamp pulled itself away as Liam brought one of his hands up to feel the wound. As his fingertips met charred skin Liam felt something push forward from his upper lips as he let a low growl. The fire made his undead heart churn in a primal way.

"I'll kill you!" exploded Liam as he rushed at the hellion with his teeth bared in a snarl.

Luckily enough for Liam, he reached the Scamp before it could fire off another gout of flame. With his left hand, Liam forcefully pulled the creature's arm forward making it fall onto the ground. It landed face-first onto the stone, letting out another pitiful hiss.

As the Scamp crumpled face down onto the floor Liam pushed his knee into the creature's back as an attempt to hold it still. It tried its best to squirm out from underneath him but after a few seconds of struggling, Liam ended the fight.

Hefting the meat tenderizer in both hands Liam lifted it high over his head then slammed it down onto the back of the Scamp's skull.

At first, a loud sound not unlike someone scoring a home run in baseball ran about the garage, then it was followed by another and one more.

The whimpers and hisses slowly faded as heavy breathing was the only thing able to be heard in the room. Below Liam was a mess of blood, bone, and gore.

The crimson glow in Liam's eyes faded as he lightly dropped the meat tenderizer onto the floor next to him. It let out a small "Ping!" as the bloodstained steel head bounced on the concrete before toppling to the side.

The anger started to lazily dissipate along with Liam's heavy breaths. Liam took in one last deep gulp of air before looking down at the mess he made.

The poor creature's skull was caved in from the back with its gray matter splattered all over the concrete floor. Liam's arms were covered in a large amount of dripping blood while his jeans were stained and had what looked like rips from the imp-like creature's claws.

Absentmindedly, Liam thought back to his wound before tapping on it again. Underneath his bloodstained hands he could feel a rigid surface but none of the real pain from before. If one were to be looking at it they would see a black patch of skin that already looked like some type of scab.

As he continued to stare at the dripping blood on his hands Liam felt his throat itch. Then it began to burn.

As his eyes started to glow again Liam gulped down a building pool of saliva in his mouth. Shakily one of his hands moved upwards towards his face. "It doesn't smell appetizing." he groused.

The bloody appendage inched forward as he felt the burn start to build. His eyes seemed to glaze over as he opened his mouth. As his tongue reached out to meet his finger, the first thing Liam noticed was the heat.

An almost intangible heat came from the blood, like the fire you'd get from the spiciest wings in Louisiana but ten times worse. Then as quickly as the heat came it left to be replaced by an intoxicating sweetness. Liam felt the burn in his throat fade as he inadvertently shuddered.

Unaware of his surroundings, Liam didn't notice someone open the door behind him to come face to face with their son covered in blood over a corpse. Although the corpse didn't look like a monster to her.

**AN: **Alrighty then, that's a wrap folks! You guys should know the drill at the end here by now so let's get into it.

The first thing I did in this chapter was tie up some of the loose ends and try to build on the world a little bit so everybody reading this has a semblance of what's going on even if they couldn't pick up on it. While doing that I tried my best to foreshadow the ending of this chapter and put some of the early stuff into context. It also introduces Malyn Varen as a character with some references for brownie points.

Then the next scene was something more experimental for me. I wrote it mainly following the POV of Meekrat...the Scamp. I thought it would spice things up a little bit and give the readers some more of a look into the "other side" of things. Tell me if you guys liked it or not as it's the first time I've done something like that and I'm looking for feedback.

After that was a short part with Liam's mother that develops some more on the Davis family and their backstory. It also develops more of Olivia as a character in the eyes of Liam, i.e. being overprotective but a pushover when it comes to most things.

Then the final two scenes were the fight with the Scamp and some more stuff to keep everything going good. I'm not going to be going into it really much more right now as it will develop more in the next chapter, but any feedback you guys have is greatly appreciated. Now onto the citations

(1) Alright, this one is a bit of a doozy. It's a reference to not only a book from the Elderscrolls series but a mod for Skyrim called Undeath. Look it up if you want it's a pretty cool mod I played through that works well for what I wanted with Varen's search for immortality.

(2) I would think most everyone would know who Voldemort is, but I'll put this in nonetheless. He's the main villain from the Harry Potter series, who has no nose just two slit nostrils.

(3) This is a reference to the lore behind the Scamps as a species. They are mostly associated with Mehrunes Dagon which is a Daedric Prince. In Oblivion they are a fairly common enemy that works perfectly for the scene I had in mind.

Other than that I'm always open to any criticism if you guys have any, and I'm still undecided on making that Discord server. If I got any lore stuff wrong feel free to edjucate more or send me a source to it but see you guys next time!

~ciao


	4. So He Knows Magic

**Edit: **I clarified a few lines as they were vague or just dramatically incorrect as I reread them. If you guys notice anything else like that please let me know.

**AN: **How you doing folks? It's that time again, let's see how Liam gets out of the situation he's landed himself in, but first let's get into the guest reviews.

Guest #1: Thanks for the review broskie. With the scamp not going back to Oblivion, it is mostly because there is no definitive answer for what happens to them. From what I've read online and just from playing the game's summons get sent back to oblivion while other types of Daedra leave behind a body when they die.

They don't truly die but their soul is sent back into the waters of oblivion to be reborn. To keep a long story short there is now a very angry Scamp named Meekrat who is prowling the plains of oblivion. It works similar to how monsters work in the PJO series with them reforming after a while.

I mostly based that off of the Daedra themselves saying "Destroy the body, and the Animus is cast into the Darkness. But the Animus returns," You can find more on that online just search the line I gave to find the full thing. It goes deeper into it than I did.

With the second part of your review, I mainly do that because on my other stories I've received Pms asking about stuff in my other fics. Since it's just a few short paragraphs at the end i'll keep it in, you don't have to read that part if you want man. Chapter 3's was a little bit longer than usual though.

I've got nothing else for you. ~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

So He Knows Magic

Olivia was sitting down at the kitchen table tapping her foot impatiently as the door closed behind Liam. She waited and waited for him to come out or for something for some noise, something at least. What actually happened was much worse than what she expected.

In the span of a few seconds, dead silence switched to low growls and hissing as a bright light flashed underneath the garage door followed by her baby boy yelling out in pain. Almost immediately Liam's mother stood up from the kitchen table and rushed over to the door.

As she tried her best to pull down the handle the only thing that came to her mind was, _It's locked?_

Olivia started to put more of her weight behind the door as more yelling and hisses came from behind it. Then she heard it.

A wet, almost fleshy sound rang out with a series of loud thumps as the hissing noises came to end.

All of the sudden, the pressure building on the inside of the handle burst through as the metal bent down towards the ground. Liam's mother gave out a small grunt as the pressure changed then pushed open the door as fast as she could.

Coming into that room was a bloody affair.

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but as the black slowly let her eyes through its veil, Olivia was horrified. Kneeling just a few feet away from the door was her son. To his right was the meat tenderizer from before covered in bloody gore.

Below him was an ever-growing puddle of red with little chunks spread throughout. His back was to her and from what Olivia could see he was covered in the stuff as well. Liam was hunched over some type of little creature that had the back of its skull crushed in. His blue jeans were ripped with mindless abandon too, but that wasn't what the worst thing she saw.

No, the worst would have to be what Liam was doing to the poor thing.

"Li...Liam." she stuttered.

Liam's torso turned towards the noise showing Olivia a face not even a mother could love. His eyes were glowing an angry red while his mouth was covered in what she could only assume was blood. Peaking below his lips were two large fangs that made him look even more monstrous.

Olivia's face contorted with fear before something in her seemed to break. She wouldn't, no she couldn't make sense of what was in front of her. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening other than a small part of her brain screaming, "She shouldn't see this!"

That part of her brain was right and for all intents and purposes, she wouldn't be at least not for much longer.

Her eyes seemed to lull as a system that has been in place since monsters stopped walking among mortals wrenched the scene from her mind. All in all, it took less than a second, but the job was done. She wouldn't remember it, at least not the truth. (1)

Olivia then did what most mortals do when they come across something they don't understand. She ran.

As fast as her feet could carry her, Olivia turned back and ran up towards the master bedroom of the Davis residence. For her the action wasn't even conscious anymore; it was nothing more than pure instinct demanding that she get away from whatever it was that she saw.

Liam's mother reached the bedroom then as quickly as she ran she pulled herself inside. After a small "Click!" rang out in the room she knew she was safe, for now at least. The primal part of her brain having done its part slowly pulled itself back as Olivia was left to sort through what she had laid her eyes upon.

She'd do better than Liam at least.

-Back Inside the Garage-

The only thing he could do was to yell out, "Wait!" before she started running. It was mortifying in a way to see that look on her face. Fear wasn't even enough to describe it, terror would do better. His mother, his own mother looking at him like he was some kind of monster.

Liam couldn't stand it.

His red eyes abruptly dimmed as he ran after her, not that it would help any. Sneakers impacted the hardwood floor as Liam bounded up to where his mother fled. The building sense of fear started to turn into despair as he reached his parent's bedroom.

Jiggling the locked handle Liam said, "Mom...I'm fine, I can explain!"

He waited a few seconds for a response, for anything at all, but when that never came, Liam began to get much more worried. Frantically Liam started knocking on the door, almost pounding on the poor thing trying to get his mother's attention.

"Mom! Please just talk to me!" he begged as his bloodied face looked more and more panicked.

The begging and pleading would go on for quite some time. Ultimately, Liam would sit in front of that door for half an hour before he gave up. The frantic knocking slowly started to die out as a depressing thought ran through Liam's head.

_What if...what if she hates me now? _Liam thought with a dejected look on his face.

Slowly his eyebrows furrowed in anger as he stomped on the ground while facing the wall to the left of the door. Another look of pain came to Liam's face as he thought: _hah, what difference would it make?_

The memory of a certain old hag came to his mind.

"_It's a shame you know?" called out the old crone._

_Liam's eyes were darting around the room, looking everywhere except her eyes. It took him a second to work up the nerve but he finally asked, "W-What is?"_

_The hurtful gaze she gave Liam would be something he'd remember for years. The woman pushed up her gunmetal glasses then replied with, "That such good people get stuck with a demon child like you."_

Pulling Liam out of the memory was the last thing she said, demon child. Absentmindedly, Liam brought his left hand up to his mouth and rubbed at the fang underneath his lip. His face became an almost emotionless mask as he muttered, "Well, I guess she was right."

With what little time Liam had left in that house, it was spent doing two things. The first one was packing what he could into his school bag. After a couple of minutes of pushing and prodding, Liam was able to fit in a blanket, an extra set of clothes, and some other bare essentials.

After doing that he quickly changed into what his father called: Hiking Gear before washing off the caked blood on his face. It wasn't much but having on cargo pants, a thick shirt, and a fitted jacket would help him out for a while. They also didn't have dark red stains covering them, that was a plus too.

The second thing that ate up Liam's time was a phone call, but to really understand that you'd have to know someone.

That someone would be named Sam Greenwood. To Liam, he was one of his only two school friends. The boy was fairly short for his age and having a limp didn't really help any. It made him an easy target for the Dean's kid Nick.

That's how Liam and Sam met in the first place.

For Liam, it was just like any other day. He'd look down, keep his mouth shut, and he'd be fine. For Sam, it was his worst nightmare.

Sam or how his friends called him Sammy was just trying his best to mind his own business. Then came one Nickolas Von Der Lippe, better known as Nick. For reasons that most could not even begin to fathom Nick decided it was the day to fuck with the cripple.

To make a long story short, Liam ended up doing what he usually does when Nick was involved. After a short fight in which Liam kicked the pretentious kid in his crying face, multiple times, Sam started to hang around Liam more.

At first, Liam thought it was him trying to say thank you in some weird way but a few weeks passed, and he stuck around. Sam was almost pushy in the way he wormed his way into Liam's life. Not that Liam didn't like having someone to talk to other than -Liam involuntarily shuddered- that green-eyed, red-haired witch.

All that was without getting into the whole summer camp thing. Liam frowned then thought, _What was the name of that place again? He always wanted me to come._

Looking down at the contact saved in Liam's phone labeled 'Sammy' Liam quickly muttered, "Half-something or another? Eh, it doesn't really matter. He just liked the strawberries from there anyway."

Apprehensively, Liam put his thumb down and pressed the call button. For a second it rang and rang before a tired voice picked up. On the other side, a blonde and tired teenager mumbled, "H-huh...Liam what do ya want? It's getting late."

Taking a deep breath Liam answered him.

"Y-You know how you wanted me to call you if something weird happened?" tentatively asked Liam.

The tiredness on Sam's face seemed to melt away as he pushed himself upright off his bed. Worried he acknowledged, "Yeah. Did something happen?"

"I, uh. I might have gone out late again and...uh." stuttered Liam as he thought of the best way to say this.

Angrily from the other end, Sam chided: "Come on Liam! I told you to stop with that crap. You could have died or worse!"

Trying his best to make the conversation light Liam chuckled, "Well about that..."

"I may have come across a woman, who might have been a...a vampire. You know that park near my house right?" said Liam recounting the day before.

Liam heard Sam quietly murmur, "gods dammit." before saying, "Continue."

"I don't know how, but when she talked I just couldn't resist. It-it was like magic! Then she..." commented Liam before a wave of very familiar anger bubbled in his chest. Sam didn't say anything so Liam went on growling out, "She bit me."

Trying his best to not portray any emotion Sam asked, "How in Had-" Sam stopped correcting himself "-How'd you get away?"

A memory of broken ice and bone-chilling water surfaced in Liam's mind before he answered with, "The lake. The one in the park, she pulled us out onto it. The ice, I-I broke it and we fell underneath. That was the last thing I remember, I woke the next morning with the groundskeeper pulling on my arm."

Sam pulled the phone away from his ear before he softly worried, "Di Immortales. I thought it was...crap. Crap! He said you'd be safe for another year at least. You don't even have much of a scent."

Liam subconsciously raised one eyebrow then asked, "Scent?"

"Liam it's not important right now. You need to stay off the phone and get to me. If all else fails go to the camp. Please Liam, promise me that you will. You still got the card right?" ranted Sam with fear easily noticeable in his voice.

Liam frowned slightly before replying with, "What do you mean? I still have more to tell you, and why in the hell would I want to that summer camp anyway?"

From the back of Liam's mind, he could almost swear that he heard the voice give out a low growl at the mention of the camp.

"Listen, Liam, every word you say here is like a beacon to **them** you need to get off the phone. My place is just a few blocks away, run for it if you have to! I thought it was Khione not... Just leave your phone and come meet up with me!" chattered Sam in much the same grave tone as before. (2)

_Khione? _Thought Liam in confusion.

With his rant finished Sam hung up the phone and went about his business. He reached far underneath his apartment's bed gripping a familiar handle. Sam would get Liam there one way or another. This sure as hell wasn't going to be a repeat of Grover's disaster a few years back.

Meanwhile, Liam was staring at the call ended screen on his phone. He didn't know what to make of it; once again Liam's world was being blown out of the water with none of the real answers being given to him.

Gritting his teeth Liam angrily put his book bag over his shoulders and onto his back. The small blue thing wouldn't look out of place if not for the kid wearing it. There was one last thing Liam needed to grab before he went out.

Liam strolled over to his nightstand and opened up the drawer on its front. After a few scarce seconds of pushing around his junk-filled drawer, Liam pulled out a small book. After taking a single glance at it, Liam pocketed the thing and started his not so joyful trudge down to the front door.

Looking at the still locked master bedroom, Liam felt heat in his chest. _Maybe she'll.._he thought before sighing then quickly looking down at the floor.

"It's no use." lamented Liam.

With one more apprehensive step, Liam started his journey down the stairs and to the house's front door. He trembled a bit as he pulled down the handle. The door opening was much easier than the footsteps that followed.

Liam gave one more glance over his shoulder before whispering, "This is it then."

-Two Blocks Away from Sam's Apartment-

As Liam started trudging through the somewhat empty streets of New York he started thinking that maybe he didn't really need his jacket. The wind was there sure, as well as the occasional snow flurry, but he couldn't really feel the cold.

The boy could feel the wind blowing against his cheeks and face, yet somehow it didn't feel bad at all. It was almost pleasant in a way, like a summer breeze on a warm day. The bone-chilling wind made him feel at home.

His little walk went without any real interruptions until he reached about halfway there.

That night the city was fairly quiet with the usual abundance of people being noticeably less so. Liam saw a few party-goers and some homeless people but not much else. The streets were, in a way, quiet for once.

Then he saw her.

A younger woman with some local high-school uniform still in place over her skin. She was what most would describe as beautiful. Blonde locks fell haphazardly from her head while not a blemish was seen on her face. The uniform seemed to hug her body in just the right way, she was nothing short of a real knockout.

What drew Liam's attention to her was altogether different. It was the smell.

Ever since Liam was 'turned' more and more supernatural things started to pop up, with this newest addition being his uncanny ability of smell. It wasn't like he was a bloodhound nor was it particularly noticeable unless he paid attention to it though.

The only thing he could really track was blood. Liam could smell the substance like a shark; he could even swear that someone nearby had cut himself recently due to the honey-like smell. It almost made Liam sick to his stomach. One more thing that made him a monster.

Which all comes back to the girl.

The only way Liam would be able to describe the smell is as 'different.' It wasn't bad per se but it had a distinct scent when compared to everyone around her. The scent was reminiscent of when Liam and his father went on a spelunking trip when he was younger.

She smelled of the underground, of the Earth and caves and that was without getting into why she was out and about so late for someone so young. Well not that he had any room to talk.

Liam scrunched up his nose some as he kept his pace hoping for the best. If everything went well she'd just continue by walking past him, and Liam would not have to deal with any other weirdness tonight.

As the two past each other on the sidewalk the high-schooler stopped dead in her tracks. Almost immediately Liam let out a low "Tsk." as she started walking behind him. The street came to an end, and Liam stood at the light waiting for traffic to part.

Low and behold the girl behind him stood with her eyes narrowed at the back of his head. She shifted her gait towards her left leg. A metallic hue rang out at the light as Liam took a quick glance over her shoulder.

Her jade-colored eyes met his then she commented, "You smell weird."

Liam didn't respond but he began to impatiently tap his foot while watching traffic. He was getting worried now; the high-schooler could be like that crazy bitch, or worse.

Giving another quick glance over his shoulder Liam thought _But she doesn't look like it though. She's not pale at all. -_he stopped to look down at her feet- _Besides her smell and...whatever the hell that sound was she looks normal. A prosthetic maybe?_

Seeing the kid ignore her and start to stare the would-be cheerleader chided, "It's rude to stare you know?"

Deciding to finally put an end to whatever she was trying to start Liam asked, "What do you want?"

The blonde woman's face lit up in a smile as Liam finally paid attention to her. She brought her hand up and pulled one of her long locks behind her shoulder. It revealed where the uniform was from.

_Goode High-school. _Read Liam before quietly asking in his head, _Isn't that where Rachel is going to next year?_

"It's not every day I come across something that smells like you. So tell me what are you?" inquired the blonde while doing her best to keep eye contact.

Liam began to feel something awfully familiar from the way she was talking. Her words sounded like liquid gold to his ears; there was something begging for him to listen. Liam's face went from a flash of fear to anger before he growled out, "Stop that!" (3)

Liam sure as hell wasn't going to let some pretty words control him again. He brought his hand down to his thigh trying to be discrete and gave it a painful squeeze. Keeping his face as stoic as possible Liam squeezed harder thinking _It'll let me think straight._

Amused the would-be cheerleader gave him a smile then bragged, "Oh, but don't you want to hear my pretty voice?"

A hard stare was all that met her attempt.

"Oh fine, you sourpuss," she said as the smile dropped from her visage.

The blonde gave the air another whiff then asked, "Oh but I wonder, what are you? You smell of ice and blood yet unlike any halfling I've come across there's nothing divine. It's delectable."

The light in front of the two switched to red. Liam started to cross before he angrily called out, "I don't know but if you keep following me, I'll call the cops creep!"

She let out a snort of amusement before responding with "Oh, I'm sure you will. See you soon!" and a wave.

It's been so long since she's seen anything new like him. _Another pantheon perhaps? The offspring of a monster and a mortal? It doesn't matter; I _-The woman's hair seemed to burn at its tips as she let out a reverberating growl- _must have a taste._

Meanwhile, Liam was already across the street heading towards the rundown apartment building in the distance. The concrete establishment was small for what you'd normally expect out of New York. It had only five floors with a parking lot out in front of it.

It wasn't much, but it was cheap. At least that's what Sam told him anyway.

Liam quickened his pace towards the building; he wasn't outright running but speed-walking wouldn't be a bad way to describe it. As he walked throughout the rather large parking lot up to the double doors of the building Liam felt the hair on the back of his neck stick up.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Liam gave a cursory view to his surroundings. It only took him a few seconds to spot what was wrong. In a nearby alleyway was the same high-schooler from before hidden in what for most would be complete darkness. Her eyes were following him with a pang of inhuman hunger. Hurriedly Liam looked away and hoped that she did not notice.

_Night vision does have its perks I guess. _Thought Liam before he hurried inside the apartment building.

The inside of the place was just as run down as the rest of it. A dilapidated wooden counter was the first thing to meet Liam's eyes. It had wholes and scratches all over it with what looked like a small monitor faced away from the entrance.

The floor was covered in a mangy carpet that was obviously stained from years of misuse. A look of disgust came onto Liam's face as he thought _I don't even want to know what some of these stains are. How in the hell does Sammy live in a place like this?_

The expression slowly went away as he saw Sam sitting on a nearby wooden chair. His rather long blonde hair was pushing itself out from his hat like usual. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a bright orange t-shirt; the shirt had some faded logo on the front. Sam's face was a little bit above average for a teenager, at least he didn't have acne. His cheekbones were the most noticeable thing there along with his tanned skin that gave sharp contrast between his blonde hair and coppery skin.

As soon as Liam came through the two glass doors in the front Sam stood up and walked over with his face full of worry. It only took a second for that to change.

Sam's nose scrunched up before his stature seemed to lower. It almost looked like he was getting ready to run or to try and jump. Either way with his noticeably crippled legs it just looked silly to Liam. Sam's eyes started to dart around the room and he took glances outside into the dark parking lot.

"Liam we need to go-" Sam stopped mid-sentence and fumbled around in his jacket pocket before pulling out what looked like a gold coin and a small spray bottle. Confused at the seemingly two random items Liam asked, "What are those for?"

"Give me a second, I need to send a message real quick. We're gonna have to go on foot, I don't...hmmm wait! We can take a bus to Long Island." rambled Sam as he started to spray the bottle in the air.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering." plead Sam before he threw the coin into the mist.

_Iris? _Though Liam before he said "What in the hell's that gonn-"

As the golden coin contacted the mist the object seemed to shimmer before fading away. The water vapor started to form a multicolored rainbow as Sam called out, "Chiron at Camp Half-Blood." As soon as the words left Sam's lips an image came into place.

It was a surprised middle-aged man with dark brown hair. He had what looked like the beginning of a comb-over and a rather long pointed beard. From what was shown on the image he looked like the man had on some type of business suit as well.

The lower half wasn't really present but Liam thought he saw some white fur.

From the magical video call, Chiron's look of surprise quickly fled his face before he calmly asked "Sam, what's the matter? I thought you wouldn't be..."

The man's eyes slowly drifted over to where Liam was standing with utter bewilderment present on his face. As quickly as they came across the young man they turned back towards Sam before he prompted, "Well?"

"Something went wrong. H-His scent it changed; Liam came across an Empousa." began Sam as he self consciously scratched at his scalp.

Chiron eyes betrayed his stoic face. The two orbs drifted towards the ground before he muttered, "Then how is he...?"

Sam continued one with his report stammering out the details stating, "He got away somehow, Liam said it was something to do with ice. I think you were right."

The older man quietly inquired, "Khione?"

**That wintery harlot has nothing to do with us. **Seethed the voice from the back of Liam's head.

Liam grimaced at the grating sound but didn't argue. Having something to finally bring him out of his stupor, however, was something to talk about. Absentmindedly, Liam thought _I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I?_

Liam took a deep breath then interrupted both of them yelling, "Can one of you two just tell me what the hell is going on?! First I come across that crazy bitch, the lizard demon thing, and now-" Liam gestured to the image in front of him "-he knows magic!"

A sympathetic look came over Chiron's features before he implored, "Just please listen Sam and be cautious. All of this will be explained when you get to camp. After what happened at Yancy I-"

Suddenly the image faded away as the water in the bottle reached its end. Sam dropped the bottle and let out some kind of curse. It wasn't anything Liam could understand though. As quickly as he could Sam walked towards the door motioning for Liam to follow.

Looking closer at him now Liam noticed something new to his clothes.

_A sheath? _Liam thought as brown leather stood out from Sammy's blue jeans. Looking down Liam corrected himself then asked, "A dagger?"

The weapon looked like it was made out of some type of brownish metal with an almost supernatural glow. The blade itself was curved while the handle seemed like it was made of weathered wood with the same metal being in the pommel. It wasn't pretty, but it would do its work.

As they both reached the door Sam looked down at the bronze dagger then said, "Just to be safe."

The front door of the apartment building opened and the two headed out into the poorly lighten lot that awaited them. They would have to journey through the night for a while yet, luckily enough for Liam the trip wouldn't be boring.

**AN:** And that's it from me everybody! This chapter was a little bit more dialogue-heavy than most. Also, I use ellipsis in conversations to mark someone pausing in their dialogue.

There were two main focuses in this chapter. The first one for me was to try my best and make everything seem as believable as possible. There were a lot of scenes specifically the first two that were hard to get sounding right when compared to Olivia's normal behavior. Showing the reader that without just outright saying it was fairly hard.

The second one was the introduction of some new characters and plot hooks. I'm not going to get into them as there were a lot, but it really helps to develop where I want this story to go while alluding more to the original PJO series.

Alright onto the citations now. There are some minor spoilers if you care about that so be forewarned.

(1) This is a minor spoiler so don't read it if you care about that. This is referencing the mist. It will be developed more in the future. You can look it up if you don't already know about it as it's a fairly easy thing to find. I'm thinking about doing a scene that actually shows the introduction video to camp as just a sarcastic comedy piece something like a parody of those coming into puberty videos to introduce it more.

(2) Same as above here so skip it if you wish. This is a reference to a mechanic in the PJO universe in which a demi-god's voice attracts monsters all around by basically saying "Hey I'm a tasty Half-blood come eat me!" all throughout the air when talking on a telephone. It's not really developed upon much more, but I have a few ideas about how I might use it in my story.

(3) This one is pretty quick. It's a reference to what Lamae did in the beginning and end of chapter 1 of this story. Not much else I can say without spoiling stuff so that's all you guys get here.

Other than that like always I'm open to any and all criticism if you guys have any. I'll be seeing you guys next time when Liam and Sam start their journey to Camp. If they can make it.

~ciao


	5. Interlude - Carter

**AN: **Another chapter so soon? No sorry, it's just a quick little interlude that will hold you over. I decided to make this as a kinda run around to the normal stuff. Any big scenes I cut out or things I just think up on the spot can be put in here. I'm thinking about doing one of these every once in a while. Go ahead and tell me what you guys think. ~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

Interlude #1 – Carter

Carter was already having a horrible day. The first thing he woke up to was his wife screaming and yelling in the kitchen. His son, Liam, was somewhere out in the night, again! How many times was it? Three now? Four?!

The man ruffled his black hair and fumbled around in his pocket. It took him a while but when a small red carton and a blue lighter were pulled from the thing, Carter let out a sigh of relief. It took a few strikes to get the flame going but once the sourish smell of tobacco lit the air, a smile came onto his face.

Looking down at the crooked cigarette in his hand Carter thought _Olivia would kill me if she found out I was smoking these things again._

Slowly his vice started to burn away as his family home came into view just down the road. Carter was walking there (of course! Gas was way too expensive these days anyway.) in his stuffy suit. As each of his feet impacted the concrete below a small thud was let out into the night.

Checking his watch Carter thought, _Wow, only thirty minutes this time. Still better than trying to get through traffic._

The man checked his right then his left before throwing the burnt cigarette bud onto the sidewalk, not that anybody would really care. The bright red cherry impacted the white snow before quickly dulling down to orange, then black.

Carter looked down at the still smoking leftovers then stomped it into the ground with his foot.

He kept up his pace and finally arrived at the house's door. Surprisingly, after messing with the handle, it was unlocked. A small frown appeared on his square face before falling back down. "Unlocked?" muttered Carter while pulling the door open.

The man came into a long hallway with a knocked over coat-hanger. The piece of furniture was rather small for the rest of the things in this house, but that didn't really matter. Carter was the only person to use it. A little miffed he walked over and stood the wooden piece back up before putting his overcoat on one of the hooks.

Not thinking much of it Liam's father walked into the kitchen to get something to eat. Usually, Olivia would still be awake, but he guessed she was worn out from this morning. It made sense to him at least.

The kitchen wasn't much better than the hallway. It looked like a small tornado went through it. There was a single open drawer near the garage door while plastic plates and cups were strewn across the floor. It looked like a bull ran through it.

All of the mess was heading to the stairwell that led to the second floor.

Carter's eyebrows pulled down towards the Earth before he said, "What the hell?"

Out in front of him on the wooden floor of the kitchen that led to the house's garage was a trail of bloody footprints. Carter could almost immediately feel his heartbeat start to pick up. Running across the kitchen he reached on top of the cabinets for something that's been in this house since the day he owned it.

Elmer Kieth would be proud, all he'd need now was one extra and a pipe. (1)

The weapon that Carter pulled out was his father's Ruger Redhawk. The front of the revolver was made of polished steel while the back had a matte red finish on the wood. The barrel had seven and a half inches of fun while the chamber held six rounds of .44 ready to blow whoever was in his house a new one.

Gripping the gun in his right hand Carter slowly pulled on the hammer with his thumb until he heard a click. _Please let them be alright. _Plead Carter within his mind as he stalked towards the cracked garage door.

Taking a lowered stance carter shot his leg forward in a burst of speed. His dress shoe impacted the metal door and with a loud "thump!" it moved to the right. What was in front of him would stick with him for days.

The first thing that came into view was blood, a whole hell of a lot of blood. The thick substance was smeared all around in a large pile around some poor creature lying dead center in the small garage. Carter's eyes stared at the thing before they quickly glazed over.

Much like his wife, Carter could see everything but the truth.

_Claws, fangs, fur..._ thought Carter before his mind came to a decision.

The dullness fled his eyes as he struggled out a single thought.

"A Bobcat!" cried Carter as he stared farther into the mess.

With his mind racing, Carter's eyes followed the bloody footprints. The rather small footprints led up to the second floor. Pushing the hammer of the gun back down Carter bounded up the stairs with his heart beating furiously.

As he reached the top Carter yelled out, "Olivia! Liam!"

He'd find one of them up there at least.

**AN:** I know this is pretty short like I said, but it's a scene that I cut out of the last chapter. I'm gonna start stockpiling some of these little things and release them in between my normal chapters every once in a while. Other than that I'm going to start the next actual chapter now which will have the review responses and whatnot on it so see you then.

(1) Elmer Keith was the inventor of the .357 magnum and the .44 magnum cartridges. He was an Idaho farmer, gun enthusiast, and all-around badass who was most iconic for a picture of him wielding tow revolvers and smoking a pipe.

~ciao


	6. To Camp

**AN: **Hey, hey people adis here. Wanna journey back into the streets of New York with me? I got one review to cover first though.

Guest #1: Thanks for the review my man! I'll start off with you mentioning Chiron here. In my story he definitely does; it happened in canon as well with some of the off shot stories by Riordan. The thing is here that he's never actually met Liam or even been around him in the first place.

Sam is the only person who's actually been around him any from the Greek Pantheon. I'm not gonna spoil who or what he is, but I assumed a lot of people have already guessed.

With Sam mistaking him as a normal demi-god it's mostly because of how Sam originally smelt. He commented on Liam's scent changing drastically and how it used to be primarily ice, but now it smells of blood. The reason I chose ice was because of how Coldharbour was described as a realm. Everything there is trying to kill you, even the air which is a frigid cold like the rest of the realm. I think the whole blood part is obvious.

That and something that will be developed upon a little later on in the story. I'll just say that it has something to do with Sam.

If there's anything else you want me to clear up just let me know.

I've got nothing else for y'all! ~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

To Camp

By the time Sam and Liam started to trudge through the double glass doors leading out of the apartment it was almost midnight. By then the after-night traffic was starting to slow as the curbed snowstorm began to pick up its wrath.

Almost as soon as they walked out of the door Sam knew something was wrong. An underground Esque smell was spread throughout the lot, the smell of monsters or in this case monster. Putting a firm grip on the handle of his dagger, he started to frantically look around in the dark.

"We have a problem," whispered Sam while still having his eyes dart back in forth in front of them.

_Crap, I forgot about her. _Thought Liam before he scanned the dull gray parking lot in front of him. His night vision was a boon sure but being color blind while in the dark was still annoying, that and the splotches of color near any light. It was just a mess to look at.

Liam's eyes narrowed as a figure crouched in the darkness slowly ducked between the cars in the lot. The cheer- no monster was trying her best to stay in the dark while prowling towards them and Liam wasn't going to have any of it.

Lightly touching Sam on the shoulder Liam said, "Up and to our left, she's hiding behind the Cadillac." in a quiet voice.

Giving Liam a bewildered look he muttered, "How can you...? No it's not important; follow me."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Sam started walking to the right out towards the street. Following quickly after him Liam asked, "What are we gonna do? The Emp-"

"Don't!" growled Sam before continuing with, "Don't say its name. We need to get somewhere where I can see...either that or run. Gods dammit why'd your scent have to change?"

The two reached the snow-covered sidewalk right next to the street as Liam wondered, "Scent? What scent, I shower every day."

Sam's lips pursed before he replied saying, "Not that you doofus. You got a smell that attracts those **things.** It..."

As he paused Sam took a brief glance behind them trying to get eyes on their not so secret admirer. Still not seeing it he started to walk a little faster then explained, "Yours, it changed. Dammit it's like the thing exploded! You used to just smell like ice, but now?"

Sam's face scrunched up before he continued with "Ugh, just don't worry about it."

As they walked Liam kept taking glances over his shoulder; the Empousa was always there just out of sight. She stood in the bleak mix mash of grays with an inhuman look on her face. It was like some type of predator hunting their prey.

With that harrowing thought a small lick of flame built in Liam's chest. Why was he running? To get Sam's help with whatever an Empousa was? What would Sam be able to do? Subconsciously the beginnings of a sneer built itself on Liam's face.

Hearing the footsteps behind him stop Sam asked, "Why did you stop?"

Behind him Liam's cold stare quickly melted as he shook his head. _What am I doing? _Thought Liam before he commented, "I...nothing let's keep moving."

In front of the pair Sam's destination finally came into sight, the bus stop. Like a lot of other cities, New York has a shuttle system that ran almost twenty-four hours a day, much like most everything else there. To top it all off the place was brightly lit with a row of three streetlights along the edge of the road.

Sam's line of sight exponentially expanded as they finished their little trek. It wouldn't be the best, but it would sure beat fighting in complete darkness. Now all he needed to do was wait...for twenty minutes. "Shit!" cursed Sam as his eyes drifted away from the bus stop's only sign.

Meanwhile Liam was staring directly at the monster wearing a high-schooler's flesh in the darkness. The woman was still about forty feet away standing upright. Weirdly, she seemed to be just staring at them.

Her face was pushed into an almost shit-eating grin as she continued to test the waters edging ever closer to where they both stood. Thinking they weren't going to have much time Liam asked, "Sammy, what's the time on that bus?"

Sam turned back towards Liam then scoffed, "Definitely not enough. Is it still following us?"

With a gulp of air Sam drew his dagger from its sheathe. The coppery blade let out an almost intangible glow in the dull-colored light coming from the streetlamps. From where Liam stood the thing looked sharp enough to shave with and that's why he wasn't amused when Sam decided it was a good idea to throw it at him.

Fortunately for him, Liam's supernatural reflexes kicked in once again. His dominant hand shot up and gripped the weapon by its hilt. As soon as he got a good handle on the thing Liam shouted, "What in the hell was that for?!"

"Empousa they have a very annoying ability called Charmspeak. You probably already know that though. I-I doubt I'll be able to do anything against her." replied Sam as a worried look came over his face.

"What do you expect me to do? I don't know how to use a knife!" fretted Liam growing more and more concerned. What could he do? Liam didn't really know anything about what an Empousa really was besides the whole 'Charmspeak' thing and even then it was still hard to snap out of.

"Then let's just run!" suggested Liam still trying to get out of the situation. Sam's skittish look was all he needed to think otherwise. Well that and the fact the bitch was almost on top of them by now. They would have done well to stop talking and actually do something.

Sam almost looked guilty as he replied with, "We can't! It'll tear us apart in the dark, I'm supposed to be your protector not... I-If you can't take her just leave me."

"Well boys why don't we just talk?" called out a voice from the darkness.

From Sam's point of view he saw the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet emerge from the darkness. Her eyes were diamonds, her hair flawless, her voice..._Oh god her voice._ Thought Sam with a stupid smile on his face.

As his thoughts began to glaze over more Sam could feel the nagging inner voice within his mind fully disappear. With a now almost blissful smile Sam ran his hand through his hair then replied, "Oh we can do more than talk!"

Liam was much less affected. It took him a second but as her honeyed words left his ears Liam pulled himself back together. It seemed he was getting better at this; He didn't even need to pinch himself this time. Taking Sam's dagger in a grip that would make Michael Meyers proud Liam started to walk forward. (1)

The Empousa's eyes traveled up and down Liam's body before she quickly turned to Sam then suggested, "It's really late. Why don't you go lay down for a bit?" while pointing over to a nearby bench.

Sam let out something that sounded like a cross between a happy snort or even a bleat before he chirped, "Of course!"

While Sam strutted over to the bus stop with a smile on his face Liam wasn't so happy. He could feel that same lick of flame from earlier start to blaze in his chest as the woman turned to him. "Now what to do with you?" questioned the Empousa with a sour look on her face.

Daintily she brought up a pedicured fingernail to her lips before lightly touching it. Her face seemed to split into an evil smile as she said, "Ah, I know just what to do!"

Lighting up the night was the woman's hair. The blonde went from the color of bleached sand to fiery white in less than a second. That wasn't the most striking change though. That honor would go to her legs.

The left looked like that of some goat while the right turned into an amalgamation of different metals. It almost looked as if someone threw twenty pounds of slag into the shape of a human leg. Surprisingly, the limb seemed to be doing just fine for her.

The most threatening change that came from her 'transformation' would have to be her teeth and claws.

Much like Liam's own the woman seemed to have suddenly grown two more large canines that stretched out from her mouth. Unlike Liam however, she had two from the bottom as well, it made her look kinda like a lion. Less noticeable was how each of her manicured fingernails stretched out a couple of inches into razor-sharp claws.

"Nothing like a hunt before a feast!" the creature crowed before lunging forward claws outspread.

Diving out of the way Liam let out a small grunt. As soon as he came down the boy pushed himself back up knocking the snow off his front. He barely had time to turn before the Empousa struck again this time hitting Liam's shoulder.

**A pathetic excuse for a vampire. **Growled the voice as the heat of the fight started to get into Liam's head.

Liam's eyes exploded with red as he stabbed the dagger down at the clawed hand that was peaking through part of his shoulder. As soon as the blade made contact with the creature's skin a scream of pure fury was ground out before she jumped backward.

Expecting blood Liam's eyes looked down at the blade he held in his hand. Surprisingly enough, the weapon was clean. However, just below on Liam's now damaged jacket was some type of powder. Not thinking much of it Liam trained his vision back on the monster before him.

"I was going to make it quick!" raged the Empousa as she ducked down once again getting ready to lunge.

Being prepared this time, Liam jumped towards his left and out of the way of the barreling beast. Behind him, he could hear another loud hiss of pure fury as metal footsteps impacted concrete. "I sure as hell won't!" yelled out Liam as he lightly touched the wound on his left shoulder.

This time the monster slowly stalked towards Liam growling all the while. Looking at her now Liam could see a small cut on the hand that wounded him; it was slowly letting a yellowish powder fall towards the ground.

Liam's mind raced as he tried his best to find a way to defeat her. After taking a split-second to come up with a plan, a cruel smile came onto Liam's face. Slowly he looked down at her fleshy leg before thinking _I guess I have a way to get you to stop lunging at least. I just need you to do it one more time._

As the Empousa reached him she raked her claws in a wide fashion towards his torso. Like before it was fast but not fast enough. She let out a small "Tch!" as she hit open air.

Having backpedaled to get away Liam now stood at a good six feet away from her, not too close nor too far. The boy opened his semblance of a stance wide with the dagger in his left hand while his right was open wide, waiting for the perfect moment.

That moment would come just after Liam jeered, "Ha, you're too slow!"

Like a raging bull, the woman leaned down once more before launching herself at the boy. This time it wouldn't go so well for her.

Just as she reached Liam, he firmly grasped her wounded arm's wrist before stepping to the side. For his size Liam was strong. Just as she felt the pressure on her wrist, it pushed forward and behind her back coming with it was her entire body.

Liam had planned to pull her to the side and crush her donkey leg underfoot. However, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. (2) In reality, all Liam had ended up doing was throw her to the ground.

Flaming hair and fangs met snow as the creature went face-first into the snow. Quickly, the white substance started to melt into water soaking the Empousa and putting out her glowing hair but that would be the least of her problems.

In a fight there's one place you never want to be and that place is on the ground.

Almost immediately, Liam took advantage of the situation and jumped onto her back. With his free hand he grabbed the Empousa's head and pulled it back, hard. An ominous pop came from her neck as the monster was forced to come face to face with Liam.

Angrily, Liam stared her in the eye before bringing Sam's dagger around the creature's throat. A flash of fear came onto her face before the Empousa felt a searing pain at the base of her neck.

The bronze dagger went in with little resistance at all, while the monster let out a loud cry of pain. Gritting his teeth Liam pulled the dagger to the other side of her neck. From the now neck-wide wound came a virtual waterfall of yellow dust.

Breathing heavily Liam pulled the dagger out before falling backward off of the monster. The cold snow would be of little consequence.

Meanwhile, the Empousa was doing her best to memorize the halfling's face to memory. One day she'd get revenge against whatever the hell he was. Her vision started to fade as her body suddenly disintegrated into a large pile of dust.

The only thing that would be left behind was the Goode High-school cheerleader's uniform she was wearing.

Slowly, Liam started to get himself up after he stopped heaving. While he was giving a glance at what was left of the monster some of his supernaturally enhanced strength left his limbs. As soon as it did Liam's eyes faded back to their chocolate brown.

Looking over from the dust-covered uniform to where Sam slept a smile came to Liam's face. _Well if he's gonna be a dickhead and not help out I might as well make him an actual one. _Thought Liam before he headed over to the bench.

Quietly, Liam pulled out a black sharpie from his book bag and said, "It's always good to come prepared." with a small smile.

He uncapped the pen before drawing a certain something on his forehead.

Shifting in his slumber Sam pushed a single leg out to the side of the bunch. His nose twitched before the left suddenly shot forward into the open air. As it reached the end of its arc Sam mumbled out, "H-Huh, whazzat?"

Out in front of them, Sam's left shoe was pointing straight up in about half a foot of snow. The missing shoe didn't bother Liam at all really. What bothered him was what was under it.

-Inside the NYC Bus to Long Island-

"A Satyr?" asked Liam sitting next to Sam a few seats from the back of the bus.

Sam nodded then quietly explained, "A type of nature spirit basically. Kinda like a dryad, you ever hear of those?"

"I mean maybe? Their basically like tree people with pointy ears right-" started Liam before Sam interrupted him saying, "No not exactly. It's close enough I guess, but I think you've been playing too much Dnd."

"Oh come on, like I have anything else to compare it to. Then you're basically a goat-spirit thing." prodded Liam finally seeming to get it.

"Hell no! I'm not a goat. Say it with me N-A-T-U-R-E spirit!" fumed Sam saying each full letter of nature by itself.

From the front of the bus, a deep voice yelled, "Shut up back there! If I gotta drive all the way across this damn bridge to long Island I'm sure as hell not gonna do it listening to you two yappin the whole time."

Accommodating the man both Liam and Sam promptly shut up. Sam leaned his head up against the seat before closing his eyes and leaving Liam to his lonesome, not that he'd have anything else to do. Liam looked up to Sam's forehead before looking back down with a small snigger.

"What?" whispered Sam keeping his eyes closed.

"Oh nothin-" began Liam before the bus driver yelled out once more shouting, "I said shut it!"

Rolling his eyes Liam thought _Prick. _before looking out the bus's window.

Outside It looked like a full-on Blizzard with white flurries blocking most of the view of the ocean below. Leaning upwards Liam got a glance of the murky depths and much like the storm it looked violent, angry almost.

Large waves were bouncing around below the bridge every few seconds while the water itself was a murky black. Paired with the raging blizzard, it almost seemed as if the sky and the sea were fighting. (3)

Slowly but surely the bridge came to an end as their bus pulled itself onto Long Island. After another boring twenty minutes of staring off into the distance the bus came upon its final destination.

Out in front of them was a bus stop much like the one back in New York city. To the left of the road was a single bench with a large street sign next to it labeled, 'Bus Stop' with the local times. Unlike the one in New York however, this stop didn't have a light.

Near the front of the bus, the driver grabbed onto the handle to his right before pushing down on the brakes. Break-pads met metal as the bus let out a long winding whine of stress. After a quick three seconds of the loud noise waking everything in the immediate area, the bus stopped.

Sam's nose twitched before he groggily opened his eyes. The cerulean orbs quickly scanned the surroundings locking onto the sign out the window.

Meanwhile, the bus driver forcefully pulled back his meaty hand with the bus's handle still in place. The rusted door hinges let out a loud creak before it folded to the left. The bus driver looked up in the window at his only two passengers before yelling out, "Long Island North!"

Sam quickly stood up and started to walk down the bus aisle with Liam following not to far behind. After pushing themselves through the numerous seats and out the bus's door, the two found themselves once again in the dark.

Looking over to where Sam stood Liam asked, "Where to now?"

Sam took a second scanning the dark forest line before a small dirt trail stood out to him. Walking towards it he replied, "We go North for a bit, the camp is near the beach."

Liam nodded his head before following after him. The asphalt turned into a well-used dirt path while all around them large trees could be seen with what looked like one the towered above all the others around it. Looking up at the gigantic pine Liam commented, "That's one big tree."

Sam didn't answer; he still seemed to be looking for some unknown threat waiting in the darkness. Mentioning the tree seemed to make him even more nervous as he quickened his pace.

Liam not wanting to make the trip in complete silence asked,"So, what's this camp like?"

"It's...great. It's kinda like a normal summer camp except for...some things. The camp is the only place someone like you can be safe." answered Sam still speed walking along the main forest trail.

Liam's face took on a sour look before he thought _Someone like me? A Monster?_

Liam hurriedly shook his head before look back up at the pine tree they were approaching. Then a thought came to his mind. "Does Long Island even have pines? I thought there were only cedars..." chatted Liam as they finally came upon the tree.

Interrupting their conversation was the voice that growled **You shouldn't be here.**

Like always it didn't seem to be helpful. Not saying anything back Liam kept up with Sam. Sam was the first to step by the pine. Liam looked on with interest as the air almost seemed to bubble before Sam stepped on through.

_What the?_ Thought Liam as he noticed the falling snow seemed to suddenly stop in front of him.

Apprehensively Liam brought one of his hands forward and lightly pushed it towards where the snowfall ended. His fingertips met something. Out in the open air there seemed to be some type of thick film following the end of the treeline.

**Leave! **rumbled the voice as Liam began to press on the barrier.

Ignoring the thing, Liam started to put in some pressure on whatever it was that was blocking him. The air seemed to bend and stretch before, with a light pop, it snapped. Suddenly, Liams hand shot through the border sending small ripples up into the air.

Almost struggling now to get through Liam pulled the arm down and with it the tear widened. Sticking his head through, followed by the rest of his body, Liam wretched himself through. Out in front of him Liam heard Sam's footsteps stop.

"Liam why'd you stop?" called out Sam as he turned back around.

Trudging up to Sam, Liam lied "What do you mean?"

Sam stared at his blurry figure for a second before shrugging and continuing on with their walk. Out in the distance lights could be seen. It was a rather large house painted a mix of baby blue with white trims. The house itself looked like the stepping stone between a normal one and a mansion.

If it were day the two would be able to see that there were three above-ground floors in the place including an attic. The front of the house had a few windows spread out in between those floors while on the first there was a light still on near the main door.

Inside that first floor room were three very different individuals all sitting, with one standing, around a small table.

The first of the three was someone who would be familiar to Liam. Although he would have an interesting new addition to his lower body. Chiron was standing still in the same suit as before with a tense look on his face.

The interesting new addition to his lower body was that he had the lower half a horse. Where his torso ended the body of a white stallion began. Behind him his long tail twitched every few seconds as he continued to stare at the door.

The second person in the room was much akin to Sam.

He sat in a fold-able chair right next to the last man in the room. He was a Satyr with the lower half of a goat. Underneath the table poked out his hoofed legs while above the table he was eating an assortment of leaved goods and scrap metal.

The last person in the room looked like someone who had skipped out on his AA meetings.

The rather short pudgy man had scruffy black hair that wrapped around his head all the way to a just as scruffy black beard. In his left hand was a can of Coca-Cola that seemed to correlate to the brown stains on his cheetah print overshirt.

The last man, colloquially known as Mr. D, took a long sip from his drink before asking, "And you thought it was good to wake me why?" in a rather annoyed tone.

The jittery Satyr took another bite out of his bent tin can before replying with, "I-I...you're the Camp Director! I-"

"I-I-I'm the C-C-C-amp Director?" mocked Mr. D in a patronizing tone before yelling, "Out with it goat boy!"

The Satyr's posture seemed to sink even lower as his hand trembled before dropping the half-eaten can to the floor. His eyes darted around the room much akin to a rabbits before Chiron stepped in to save him.

"Give the child a break, Mr. D. He's new here, he couldn't have known-" started Chiron before being interrupted.

"That the one time I can get away from this infernal place is when I sleep?" growled the portly man before glaring at the Satyr.

The Satyr seemed to have finally had his fight or flight instincts kick in as he ran off at the man's glare. Just as he left the room the Satyr looked over his shoulder at the perfectly good plate of food before looking at Mr. D's angry eyes.

With eyes full of hate the Camp Director picked up the platter filled with food and launched it at the fleeing Satyr while yelling out, "You forgot something!"

What followed his outburst was a few seconds of silence.

Chiron trotted over to the table before giving a single glance at the leftover mess. With a grimace he commented, "I'm not cleaning that up."

Mr. D finished off the last few drops of Coca-Cola before crushing the can in his fist. Letting out a small snort of amusement the man snapped his fingers then the mix of vegetable matter and trash seemed to fade before finally disappearing.

The Camp Director let out a small sigh before asking Chiron, "What is it that you need?"

The Centaur gave another sideways look at the houses main door before explaining, "I didn't need anything, we might be having a new camper tonight. Fran thought th-"

"So is that the Satyr's name? I'm gonna chew him out at the next council." ground out Mr. D with the last bastion of anger fleeing his face.

Surprisingly, Chiron didn't seem to mind being interrupted by the man. It was almost as if he was used to it. After the Camp Director finished his bit Chiron said, "You don't have to attend if you wish, but as the Camp Director you should."

Mr. D snapped his fingers once more and a golden goblet materialized from the air. The piece of jeweled gold was quickly filled to the brim with a dark red substance, wine, before the portly man brought it up towards his face.

Giving it a small swirl Mr. D let out a longing hum.

A small scowl came onto Chiron's features as the Camp Director brought the chalice up over his head. Tilting the cup forward the red liquid fell to the black chasm that was Mr. D's mouth. Just before touching his tongue however, the wine suddenly became clear.

"Oh, come on old man! Not even a little bit?" pleaded the man before the Chalice quickly faded away. As the words left his mouth a loud strike of thunder drowned out his voice.

Mr. D let out a depressed sigh before summoning another can of CocaCola and popping up the tab. Chiron having already been used to his antics didn't show much of a reaction to the scene except for the ever-growing scowl on his face.

"Are you done?" asked the Centaur in a serious tone.

The Camp Director pushed up his eyebrows before answering him. Taking a small sip from the can he suddenly spit out a mine mist of brown sugary drink. Looking over at Chiron he cursed, "Dammit, I hate diet!" before summoning one more can.

Not even slightly amused Chiron let out a small sigh as Mr. D said, "Oh, fine...you just want me to meet them right?"

"Yes." ground out the Centaur before one of his ears twitched.

Chiron's eyes shot towards the nearby door leading into the Big House as a set of voices could be heard outside it. From outside the two could hear someone say, "So this is it?"

"Yeah, I just gotta remember where they put the damn key out here." answered another voice before more footsteps were heard.

Inside the main room the Centaur and the man saw the main door's handle turn as the other voice commented, "Sam, I think it's unlocked."

The door opened to show a kid with a head of black hair holding onto his shoulder and one Sam Greenwood staring back at them.

**AN:** That's a wrap! This chapter had two real focuses for me and I'll get into them in a second. Like always feel free to tell me what you guys think.

The first main focus was the fight with the Empousa. Right out of the gate I wanted to have Sam help out more, but with that type of monster having Charmspeak it just wasn't going to happen without some type of cop-out. Once I got through with the scene I ended up liking it a lot. I also tried my best to make this chapter a little more light-hearted when compared with the earlier ones. That change of tone needs to happen so I can build up the tension again. *insert evil laugh*

The second thing was setting up some more stuff for what the next arc is going to be about. The last chapter ended what I really see as the 'prologue' arc where the basics of the story came together and now I can move onto what I want to explore in this story.

Alrighty now let's move onto the citations. There is a minor spoiler on the third so skip it if you care about that type of stuff.

(1) This is a reference to the movie Halloween. In this scene, Liam is pretty inexperienced with using a dagger or just any kind of weapon really and held it like Michael Meyers would, stabbing downwards towards himself. It worked out for him in the end, but it is still a notable problem.

(2) This is a reference to Helmeth Von Moltke the Elder's much longer quote in which he basically says no plan goes perfectly when it involves your enemy. I think this applies to anything that has changing variables.

(3) This one is a minor spoiler, but it is basically referencing Poseidon and Zeus fighting over the bolt from the Lightning Thief book. The winter solstice was a while back in my story (think a couple of weeks) and the rest shall be developed upon soon.

I've got nothing else for you today folks! Like always I'm open to any and all criticism so if you love it, hate it, or love to hate it go ahead and tell me why. I'll be seeing you next time with Liam meeting Chiron and Mr. D!

~ciao


	7. Some Candy, a Dream, and a Frog?

**Edit: **I noticed a few minor errors and have corrected them. On top of rewording a few lines.

**AN: **Wazzap everybody? It's that time again, let's go and see how Liam and Sam are doing on Long Island. But first, let me cover the guest reviews.

Guest #1: First off like always thanks for the review! For the first part of your review, I'll say that I know what you're talking about. A lot of fandoms have hundreds or even thousands (looking at you naruto fics) that are just rip-offs of each other or almost unreadable. I've seen it both ways though, usually, after sifting through a bunch I'll find a diamond in the rough that has no real following but is pretty good.

For your second part, I think I might do that as an interlude or maybe even a main chapter eventually once we get farther in. It's a really fun idea, but I'm trying my best to focus on the main story as filler is no bueno. I might do something along the lines of when you go drinking with Sanguine in Skyrim in which Liam would accept a drinking challenge only to wake up across the continent or something. Which could include Mr. D in it.

Either way, I really love everyone coming up with cool ideas like this. It's always fun to see and if they make sense I'm not opposed to including them at some point.

And that's it everybody let's get into it! ~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

Some Candy, A Dream, and a...Frog?

The rest of that night for Liam would be just as eventful as its beginning, that is to say very much so.

Inside the main hall of the Big House stood both Liam and Sam with one looking on in fear at what was in front of them. Across from the hall two pairs of eyes were watching the boys one of them filled with relief while the other pair were nothing but apathetic.

The first to make a move, surprising no one, was the Camp Director. Already irritable and angry from his missed sleep Mr. D threw up his hands into the air and exclaimed, "Get over here! I don't have all night and I swear to all things holy that if I'm not out of this room by sun up someone's gonna pay!"

Much like the satyr from before Sam quickly complied with the man's demands while Liam continued to stand there and stare at what was in front of him, although he wasn't worried about the recovering alcoholic.

His eyes were glued to Chiron, or more specifically his lower body. Much quicker than before Liam shook himself from his shock before heading into the room behind Sam.

The room itself looked about what you could expect from some country club's poker room. It was almost completely barren besides a giant table in the middle with a row of six chairs on either side of it. As Liam looked around more he noticed another door leading further into the building on the other side of the room.

Just as Sam and Liam got themselves situated, i.e. awkwardly standing once again in front of a glowering short-stack of a man, Chiron deemed it high time to join in the conversation. With a short cough to announce himself the Centaur commented, "Well it seems that you've made it here-" He stopped to take a glance at Liam's wounded shoulder before continuing "-relatively safe."

"Yes, yes and I'm thrilled to see another camper join..." sarcastically called out Mr. D after Chiron.

The Camp Director's eyes narrowed as he looked at Liam continue to take glances at Chiron and not respond to anything he said. Opening his mouth once again, the portly man asked: "Tell me, boy are you daft?"

Finally being drawn out of his reverie Liam looked at the man with a slightly annoyed expression on his face and said, "No, I'm no-"

Mr. D interrupted him quickly uttering "Rhetorical question."

_Who does this guy think he is? _Growled Liam in his mind feeling a little bit of anger start to froth in his chest.

Meanwhile, the other two people in the room had very different reactions. The first, Sam, still had a diminutive look on him. His back was slumped slightly while he refused to make eye contact with the man. He's heard the horror stories about those who don't.

The second, Chiron, had the same disapproving look on his face. However, it wasn't really a look of anger; it was more along the lines of the look a teacher gives to a student he's disappointed in. It's not truly harmful, but it hurts all the same.

The Centaur's face shifted as he looked away from Mr. D to a genuinely happy grin. Looking over at the Satyr in disguise Chiron congratulated, "You're one step closer to your dream, Samuel."

A grimace came onto Sam's face at his full name; he replied by saying, "I thought I asked you not to call me that?"

"Why not? It is your name." questioned the Centaur before turning to the other guest in the room.

The Satyr opened his mouth before quickly closing it. It wouldn't do him much good in the long run. For some reason Sam couldn't even begin to fathom Chiron always referred to him by his full name. To Sam, it was infuriating.

"I don't believe we've truly met. My name is Chiron, but I believe the introductions can wait until we get you taken care of." greeted the Centaur as he strode up to Liam looking at his wounded shoulder and the large scab on his cheek.

It only took Liam a second to respond as his eyes moved away from the hateful Camp Director in front of him to what he could only describe as the horseman in front of him. Slowly Liam introduced himself, "L-Liam...my name's Liam."

"Well it's nice to meet you," responded Chiron before turning to Mr. D and giving him a curt nod. As his head dipped down the man quickly stood up from his chair before muttering, "Finally, nice meeting ya stupid. Come and tell me when you get into cabin six." and walking towards the door.

The slow-burning heat in Liam's chest seemed to swell as he silently seethed, _That's it!_

"Do you think you're funny?" asked Liam in a noticeably bitter voice.

The Camp Director didn't even stop walking as he quipped, "If I was looking for advice on how to make a joke I'd ask your parents."

Right then and there Liam decided that he hated the man. For Liam at least, the scruffy-looking man reminded him a little too much of a certain someone from his school life.

Chiron gave a few seconds to fully let Mr. D get out of earshot before revealing more about the man.

"Please don't antagonize him. I don't want another...incident. Ever since he was forced to come here Mr. D has been fairly, ah...irritable." counseled the Centaur before motioning for the two to follow him.

Chiron walked over to a nearby door before pulling it open to reveal what looked like a makeshift hospital. Lining both sides of what seemed to be a repurposed hallway was rows upon rows of beds that had plastic curtains separating them. Each bed had some basic medical supplies including a mix of bandages, scissors, a suture needle, and other assorted medical supplies next to them on top of their individual nightstands.

Chiron was the first to walk inside the med-bay followed by Sam and finally Liam. Surprising Liam, he didn't go for any of the obviously well-stocked supplies next to the beds. The Centaur walked down towards the end of the room and up to something that Liam didn't notice when they walked in.

Near the back edge of the room was a locked metal cabinet that was leaned precariously up against the Big House's wooden walls. _A chemical locker...or something. _Thought Liam as Chiron reached into one of the pockets on his suit pulling out a small key.

Slowly the old iron key was pushed into the corresponding hole on the front of the cabinet before and audible click was heard. Quickly putting the key back in the same pocket Chiron pulled open the cabinet's metal doors.

What was inside definitely corresponded with Liam's 'or something.'

Inside the cabinet, there were two distinct shelves labeled 'Nectar' and 'Ambrosia' with each having more corresponding shelves below the two.

The shelf containing the nectar had what Liam thought to be some type of drink. Lining all of those shelves where large gallon jugs with a childish cartoon of a smiling man with bright golden hair giving a thumbs up and the words 'Apollo Approved!' across the bottom in big bold letters.

The ambrosia on the other hand, was much more succinct.

There were layers upon layers of what looked like wrapped up chocolate bars in small packs of four squares. The candy looked almost like the caramel-filled Valentine's candy Liam's father would bring home every year for Olivia.

Chiron seemed to eye one of the opened gallons before cursing, "Stolls, again." and grabbing a bar of Ambrosia instead. Meanwhile, Liam stood behind him trying to make sense of why a makeshift hospital would have candy.

_To make the patients happy? _Thought Liam still trying to rationalize the stuff.

In front of him, Chiron unwrapped the confectionery before throwing away the extra plastic in a nearby trashcan. Breaking the candy in half the Centaur handed two squares to Liam before looking at him with and expecting look on his face.

It took a second of staring at Liam's confused look before Chiron noticed his mistake.

Letting off a baritone laugh the Centaur joked, "Ah, I forgot. You're new here; I guess I'm getting old."

Sam let off a seemingly tired laugh at a joke Liam didn't just seem to get before Chiron explained, "This is Ambrosia; the food of the gods. It has an...ability to rapidly accelerate the healing process. Eat it; Ambrosia tastes great, I promise."

A little apprehensive at the description Liam looked down at the two squares in his hand before breaking one off and popping into his mouth. Almost immediately, Liam felt an eerily familiar taste burst onto his tongue. (1)

An almost scared look came into Liam's eyes as he glanced at the Centaur in front of him thinking _C-Crap do they know?!_

One might be thinking that was a quick turn of events yet for Liam it wasn't. The tantalizing taste that seemed to grip his entire tongue with an iron hand was one he savored not but a few hours ago. Slowly the blinding heat lessened as the same addictive sweetness from before followed it.

Almost immediately, Liam could feel the stinging pain in his shoulder lessen as the injuries his supernatural healing abilities couldn't fix seemed to disappear. On his cheek, Liam felt a small prickling sensation before the blackened scab on his cheek fell to the ground.

Chiron gave a goodhearted laugh at his reaction before telling him what he left out of his explanation.

"Taste good did it? They've always said that Ambrosia tasted like the best food you've ever had. What's yours if you don't mind me asking?" stated the Centaur as he began locking the cabinet back up.

Liam looked away before thinking up a believable lie. "It...uh tastes like my mother's cooking. She always made really good chili," replied Liam with a semi-straight look on his face.

"Chili?" asked the Activities Director pushing the cabinet back into place with a final click.

_Oh, come on Liam Chili? You can do better than that! _Thought Liam quickly imagining a way to keep up the charade.

Liam tried his best to keep eye contact with Chiron while reassuring, "Ya, she said she got the recipe from when we traveled down South. Damn if it wasn't spicy though."

"Language." chided Chiron before he began to walk back towards the hospital's main door.

Following just behind him was Sam, looking increasingly beat despite his quick nap on the way there. Rubbing his eyes the Satyr asked, "Do you want me to take him to Cabin Eleven for the night?"

The Centaur absentmindedly messed with his beard before telling Sam, "No, lights out was called a few hours ago. He can stay here for the night."

Sam gave him a short nod before turning back towards Liam and saying, "Well I'm beat...I'm gonna go get out of these stuffy clothes and sleep until it's dark again. See ya later Liam."

After taking one more look at his half-dead state Liam decided to let him off easy and waved him off. Sam hurriedly walked out of the room and back towards the Big House's main entrance wobbling all the way. Liam was still too curious to try and fall asleep.

"Will you tell me, what in the nine hells is going on now? Or is this all just some weird fever dream? Because I'm really leaning towards-" interrupting Liam's rant Chiron answered him in a sympathetic tone saying, "In time my boy, tomorrow morning I'll send someone to wake you. Normally, we have an orientation video all the newcomers get to watch, but I feel you'd appreciate a more personal approach."

_Why is it that whenever I ask a simple question everyone turns into a philosopher? _Thought Liam.

Liam gave one last pleading look at the Centaur before finally deciding to give up for now. Turning back towards one of the many empty beds, Liam leaned down into one quietly muttering "Fine."

Chiron walked through the Medical Bay's main door quiet closing it behind him, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts.

-Inside Liam's Dreams-

Sleep couldn't come for Liam soon enough. He ended up sitting there in his rickety hospital bed tossing and turning about while trying to sleep all the while thoughts of his mother and father tormented him. Over and over again a still image of his mother's horrified face was brought to the forefront of his mind just before sleep could take him.

When the boy finally was able to lose consciousness things still weren't as blissful as they seemed.

Despite what he hoped, Liam only ended up trading his thoughts for nightmares. He dreamt of a cave, of blinding holy light, of bloody altars with bodies hanged across them, and the boy dreamt of a mace.

The dream started like all of the others, innocent enough at first. He was in some kind of dark cave with echoing noises coming from the darkness and then the light came.

And with it came pain. Horrendous, unthinkable pain.

It was like Liam was staring into the sun, no not even that would hurt him so. The blasted light seemed to grow brighter and brighter, burning him even more, before suddenly it all stopped. With nothing so much as a sound, the bright light vanished leaving him alone.

Liam tried to move, but his body wouldn't listen. It was like something was holding him down. Slowly his eyes looked down to see what was binding him.

Looking down he saw a sword going through his stomach with the same infernal light from before coursing from its blade. Slowly his vision started to fade, leaving him with a ghostly image of that damn sword.

When his vision finally came back, he was once again in that damp and darkened cave. However this time, he was free.

Without any real input of his own, his body shot up from the cold hard ground and began to trudge through the damp undergrowth. It only took him a few seconds to reach his destination.

Out in front of him in a line was a series of what seemed to be altars. They were large things made up of wrought iron and cut stone built into the perfect likeness of a creature quite familiar to the boy. Each of these altars seemed to have a basin in the middle of them with a bowl that was filled with a tantalizing liquid.

Liam's head looked up his own will be damned to see what was filling them. Draped from the ceiling with reckless abandon were bodies. Each altar had a corresponding corpse raised high into the air from chains that seemed to fade away into the darkness above.

Dripping from their necks was the same ruby red from below that seemed to make Liam's mouth water.

Once again Liam's body jerked itself forward approaching one of the many altars within the cave. He could smell it now, the sickeningly sweet scent; hell he could almost taste it. With deliberate slowness, his body leaned down towards the altar in front of him.

He was salivating now. The boy could feel it in his veins the want, no the need to have a taste. Unfortunately for him, his body wouldn't let him as it left the altar choosing instead to head further in the room.

Up ahead stood another shrine much like the others in the cave. On the ground surrounding it, the altar had what looked like small steps and a few holes drilled into the stone below. What was most interesting though was what was in the shrine.

Just like all the others, it was made in the terrifying likeness of some horrid beast while above, seemingly floating in mid-air, was a rusted mace. Attentively, Liam's hand reached out to grab the handle; a smile came over his face as an eerily familiar grip met his palm.

Bringing the mace from the altar's invisible hold Liam felt the bonds forcing him to act suddenly snap as he was once again in control of his body. The boy's arm dropped down and with it came the rusty mace, both falling towards the blackened rock below.

From the darkness, a voice growled **It could be yours...**

…

Meanwhile inside the Big House's medical bay was one other person. His name was Fletcher, the brother of one Michael Yew. Like his brother, he was fairly short standing at a total of four foot seven, but unlike his brother, he had a mean streak a mile wide. (2)

If you were being nice you could call it having an attitude, but most would just refer to it as him generally being an asshole.

Now imagine what someone of that persuasion would do when he was woken up at the ass crack of dawn only to be told he has to escort someone from the infirmary all the way to the Mess Hall. Suffice to say he was already a little ticked off.

Now add, on top of all that, the certain someone he was supposed to bring all the way across camp was refusing to wake up even after Fletcher had started yelling at the top of his lungs. Looking down at the kid still soundly asleep in the cot Fletcher put both of his hands at the kid's sides before yelling out, "I said...WAKE UP!" and pushing him off the side.

Almost immediately, a disgruntled Liam felt something hard and cold on his front as his eyes snapped open to show him face-first with the wooden floor. The only other notable feeling was the burn in the back of his throat. Giving out a low groan the boy slowly pushed himself up as the teenager behind him stomped about.

"Come on kid, I got places to be and if I'm late your ass is grass!" growled Fletcher as he roughly pulled the kid to his feet by his shirt.

Liam stumbled forward as Fletcher's hand let go of him. The golden-haired boy starting walking towards the door ignoring Liam's obvious distress. Liam still a little out of it from before followed after him without complaint.

As the two exited the big house into the morning sun Liam asked, "Where are we going?"

Fletcher kept up his pace and explained, "You're going to the mess hall, and then I'm going back to bed." putting stress on the You're and the word I'm.

Liam gave it little thought as he looked at his surroundings. Up in front of them were what looked like a ring of twelve different cabins, with each one having a more ridiculous design than the last. Slowly Liam's eyes drifted by them before looking at the red-painted one closest to him.

"...Are those landmines?" muttered Liam looking at the red metal buttons sticking up through the dirt.

Fletcher didn't answer him.

After a few more minutes of walking the cabins shifted behind them as what looked to be the Mess Hall came into Liam's vision. The place looked like something you'd see out of ancient Greece. It had large cut out marble pillars with a flat roof above it, while inside the place were twelve long tables with one extra turned sideways.

Standing by himself with the same suit top and white fur was the Activities Director Chiron with a smile on his face. Fletcher seeing the Centaur's beaming smile almost immediately settled his own mouth into a scowl as he quietly mumbled, "Great, we got another fucking celebrity." before motioning Liam forward.

Chiron's smile slowly went back into a semi-neutral position as he thanked Fletcher before quickly dismissing him. The not so happy camper gave Chiron a small look before heading back towards the cabins. From where Liam stood he could see the teenager walk inside one that seemed like it was trying to outshine the sun.

Liam's head turned back towards Chiron as the Centaur asked, "So tell me, did you sleep well?"

A small grimace flashed onto Liam's face before Chiron quickly changed the subject by saying, "Oh never mind then. Shall we?"

At the end of his sentence, the Activities Director started a slow walk out towards the edge of the Mess Hall motioning for Liam to follow after him. Liam complied.

"As I'm sure you've already guessed this place isn't for most mere mortals." Commented Chiron as the two headed back towards the cabins.

_Mortals? _Thought Liam before joking, "On account of the solid gold cabin or maybe the horseman as a counselor?"

Chiron's eyes seemed to pop as the word 'horse' left Liam's mouth before he exclaimed, "I'm not a horse! Don't you know any Greek history?"

Liam's silent stare was all that answered him.

The Centaur ruffled his hair before quietly whispering, "I should have just gone with the orientation video..."

"Dear boy, I am a Centaur," explained Chiron keeping up his rather slow walk with Liam just a few feet behind.

"So Liam...by chance do you know any of the Greek myths?" asked the Centaur as he started to regret his decision more and more.

Liam put a finger up to his chin before apprehensively clarifying, "You mean Zeus and all them right? The old Disney cartoon with uh...what's his name...Hercules?"

"Heracles." corrected Chiron before stopping his clopping footsteps.

Turning around the Camp Director looked back towards Liam before asking, "I thought Sam said you were in your school's Introduction to Mythology?"

Liam gave him a weird look before explaining, "We don't really cover that type of stuff...till the second semester I think. What did Mr. Karnes say again? Something along the lines of it not being that important. He was more worried about some pantheon a Tumblr blog made up."

"Not being important!" cried the Centaur with an indignant look on his face.

"Why it's the most important subject you could take!" he continued with the same anger present on his usually chilled facial features.

Liam gave him another sideways glance as he continued to growl something in another language before finally spelling out what he's been trying to say all along.

"Of all utterly useless...I guess what worked with Percy just won't work with you, eh? Oh, no matter. As I've run out of creative ideas for this morning I'll just come out and say it. The Greek myths they're real...all of them are, in one way or another."

A little disbelieving Liam began, "But that's not...they're just myths."

Down below him a little vine sneakily snaked around his left shoe before pulling down, hard. Liam reflexively pulled his foot backward bringing a long grapevine with it. He looked down at the offending plant before saying, "What the hell?"

"I assume our local 'myth' doesn't like to be referred to as such," commented Chiron with an amused smile.

Liam gave a quick look at the vine before leaning down and silently ripping the thick thing from his foot upturning some of the nearby earth. Straightening himself back out Liam questioned, "Say I believe you, what then?"

"Well, then you'd be welcomed to stay. Camp Half-blood is open to any demi-gods; it's a safe haven to all." replied the Centaur leaving Liam to stew in his thoughts.

At first, Liam was inclined to believe him, why not? Time and time again the boy's life long views were turned overhead only for him to learn some new 'truth.' He could do it, Liam would finally have a place to stay again, and maybe even a place to call home.

_I'd get to see Sam every day too! _Thought Liam as a smile started to appear on his lips. Slowly the boy began to form a response in his head before a burning reminder in the back of his throat warned him of what truly staying here could mean.

Nervously Liam let out a short cough at the irritation in the back of his throat. Ultimately that didn't help any as the aggravating feeling persisted gnawing at the flesh in his esophagus. Slowly pushing itself to the forefront of his mind was the latent memory of the Vice Principal of his school calling him that word.

_Demon._

_Monster._

_Vampire._

They all had the same negative connotation. Suddenly, Liam took in a deep breath of air trying his best to summon any will power he had. The burning sensation started to fade as he let out the deep breath from his nostrils. Determined Liam swore _I'll prove her wrong._

Abruptly, Liam broke the silence declaring, "I'll do it."

Chiron looked over to the boy giving him an encouraging look before asking, "Do what?"

"I'll do it. I'll stay at the camp, fight monsters, and whatever the hell else. Gods be damned." responded Liam with an almost defiant look in his eye. As the last three words left his mouth a single stroke of thunder echoed ominously throughout the camp's snow-less landscape.

"Well then, welcome to the family lad!" congratulated Chiron before clapping Liam on his right shoulder with that same beaming smile.

Chiron gave a look at the still-rising sun before commenting, "I'd best get you to your cabin mates then."

-Outside the Camp's Borders-

Just outside the camp's main boundary lines stood once such beast Liam declared he would fight. Not that the horse-headed creature would understand that oath. It was more worried about something all creatures on this planet need to survive.

Food.

The beast's head was black-skinned and most would see it as equestrian in nature. From its mouth jutted long overgrown tusks that seemed like they would be used as weapons while it hunted. Lowered down from its head the monstrous creature drastically changed.

The elephant-sized creature's lower body almost looked amphibious in nature with green mucus-covered skin that would make it at home within some large body of water, and if you were to assume so, you'd be right.

That's how it hunted its prey after all, back in the sand-filled wastes of Macedonia.

It could remember the great river from within it hid waiting for its next hunt. All it would take is a single charge to gore most things to death, with the two-legged creature's tasting the best. As the beast lumbered around pushing haphazardly upon the camp's borders its mind came back to how it arrived here.

The creature let out a low rumbling roar at the thought.

Oh, how it could remember. During the night it had seen the telltale sign of the two-legged creature's, in a bright light and the smell of cooked flesh. It approached and then after being quickly spotted by **that man** the beast was surrounded.

Man-kin speared it from afar while the man himself approached with a sharp metal stick ready to rend its hide from its flesh. Over and over again the beast gave out cries trying to scare them off to no avail. Slowly it felt its body go slack before collapsing onto the cold river sands below.

Then after what felt like years to the beast it awoke once more reformed and ready to hunt again out in the middle of a forest. After wandering the empty forests for days it finally came upon something of interest. More man-kin behind some invisible wall.

For weeks the beast hunted and stalked to no avail as it couldn't reach inside the borders of the camp, but then it saw two new two-legged morsels enter the camp. Surprising the beast, the second one got caught just like itself. Then the two-legged seemed to struggle for a bit before finally ripping through sending out tears into the sky. Blowing out a snort of air through its horse-like nose the monster approached the large pine. (3)

Tentatively it brought one of its clawed feet forwards onto where it saw the man-kin rip the sky. Slowly, the frog skinned appendage pushed through the camp's borders with nothing to stop it. As the full creature crossed it let out another loud rumble.

It could hunt again.

Sniffing the air for any hint of moisture the beast's eyes came upon a creek in the distance. Deliberately the monster ducked in-between trees heading towards the water before crashing into the muddled substance.

It let out a sigh of relief as the wet liquid touched its lower body before quickly sinking down into the water head and all.

**AN: **And that's the end of this episode of- wait this isn't a T.V. Series. This chapter was a little more dialogue-heavy than usual, but I still enjoyed it. Feel free to tell me what you guys think.

Like the end of the last chapter, this one was mostly used to set up more of the world and to introduce Liam to it. Keeping him in character is something I've been trying my best to do so tell me if any of the lines sound weird or anything. He seems a little hopeful, doesn't he?

Also before I move onto the citations I'll give a cookie to whoever can guess what the monster is at the end. I'll just say this, it is from Greek mythology, but I don't think I've ever seen it used in a PJO story or otherwise. Moving on.

(1) This is something that I feel like I have to clarify my thinking on. It also has a somewhat large spoiler in it so be forewarned. The main question I answered here is would Liam be able to consume the food of the gods. The short answer is yes the long answer is a definite most likely.

Without getting into a canon war, Egyptian Magicians from the Riordian-verse can consume the stuff as well. (Which might be due to the blood of pharaohs but it's debatable.) I ended up deciding to go for it as overall it made sense with Liam's *cough* background. Overall I'm going to think of it as he's able to consume it but not nearly as much as normal demi-god would. Which basically means that he can't rely on it to a ridiculous extent as most others do.

(2) Fletcher Yew is an OC I made up to fit a role I need for this story. He doesn't actually exist in the PJO or Elderscroll universe, but I'd thought I would let you all know. Overall he may or may not end up playing a part in this story depending on how I write it.

(3) This is a reference to Liam and Sam crossing into camp. Liam ripped a hole in the border which quickly allowed for a 'guest' to follow.

I've got nothing else for ya today, see you all next time. Feel free to tell me what you guys think, I'm open to any and all criticism.

~ciao


	8. First Day part 1

**AN:** I think I'm about ready to scratch that writing itch again, so let's get into it, everybody. No Guest reviews today though. I'll check and see if that changed before I post this chapter otherwise, they'll be in the next chapter.

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

First Day part 1

"Alright come on! If we gotta spend our morning block with you dickheads at least let the newbies use the ring." called out a boy from Liam's, newly joined, cabin.

After Chiron's little 'walk' he ran Liam over to what looked like the smaller version of a Colosseum then up and left him there, after telling him to go inside. Much like the Mess Hall, the place seemed to like marble and statues of men with carved beards. The inside of the ringed building wasn't much different than what Liam saw from the outside.

Within it, there were two main sections.

The first was where most would think the audience would be, up above and safe from whatever went down below. It had a row of ten benches all the way around in a circular pattern spreading in from the stairs that lead up to it from the Arena's main walls.

The second part was the arena itself, with a lowered dirt floor from which you could access a raised area of cut stone. The raised area was forty feet by forty feet which had a drop off of about another foot on all its sides. Standing near the edge was a dirty blonde haired girl who Liam's new cabin-mate was currently yelling at.

She dropped down off the platform before running over to a nearby weapons rack. As the reached it she turned back over to the standing group of Hermes oddballs with a snarl on her face.

"Fine! You wanna join in? Then step up to the ring." yelled the girl pulling out a bronze spear from the rack.

From the back of the crowd, Liam heard someone whisper, "It's always Ares kids isn't it?"

The boy from before went a little pale and slipped backwards into the other twenty or so assorted cabin members. From where Liam stood just out of sight of the now named Ares cabin member he started to see a pattern with some of the kids.

Most of his cabin-mates, The Hermes cabin as Chiron described it, was filled with kids that all had pretty similar features up in the front. They all had the typical shady look on them with some sporting grins that looked a little too suspicious.

The other Ares kids in front of the crowd had similar looks as each other as well. All of them for better or worse just looked plain mean. They had scars and scowls galore with muscles and height to match. It was like their entire cabin was filled to the brim with the physical embodiments of the word 'Jock.'

Slowly the kids from the Hermes cabin shifted backward away from the girl while the only one dumb enough not to was left out in the open. That person being Liam.

The predatory look on the girl's face seemed to scan the crowd in front of her for anybody that stood out before her eyes landed on Liam. He stuck out like a sore thumb when compared to the rest of the Hermes cabin.

He was a couple of inches taller with his skin being as white as snow when compared to the rest of the scrawny, tanned kids behind him. There was that and the fact that he wasn't wearing the telltale orange shirts like everyone else that read 'Camp Half-blood' in large bold letters.

_He doesn't look like one of them, hasn't been claimed I guess... _thought the girl before walking towards him.

"Well boys, it looks like we got a volunteer! At least one of ya isn't a pansy like the rest." exclaimed the girl before firmly grasping Liam's shoulder with her free hand.

As soon as Liam felt her hand touch his shoulder he tried to push her off but he'd swear that woman has the grip strength of a bear. Liam fiercely pushed on her arm as the Ares Cabin member pulled him over to the rack.

"Let me go," growled Liam putting more strength into his arms with a snarl.

Liam heard a low pop come from the girl's arm as he forced her off, putting all of his weight behind it. She stumbled for a second as the quiet muttering from both crowds went dead silent. Slowly, the muscular camper turned back towards Liam.

Surprising just about everyone there a low smile was on her face. However, it still didn't look friendly. The thing curved up from her lips in an almost manic manner turning her perpetual scowl into something that reminded Liam of someone unpleasant.

From within the group of Hermes kids, someone muttered, "Where's Luke when you need him?" in a quiet voice.

"Well, it looks like I was right. Hey kid, what's your name?" asked the girl as she jumped back up onto the cleared stage with the same blood-lust filled smile.

"Liam." replied the fledgling still standing down by the rack.

"Clarisse. Hurry up and choose something and get up here so I can kick your ass." demanded the Ares cabin member as she walked to the arena's other edge.

Liam stood there for a second thinking about some way to get out of the fight before giving up on it. Both cabins were already starting to surround the arena with one side looking ready to kill Liam if he didn't go along with it.

_Yay, some good old-fashioned blood sport to start off my day. Wonder what the rest of this camp is gonna be like._ Thought Liam as he looked down at the only weapons he had to choose from.

Laying on the rack was an assortment of what Liam thought he'd see at some mid-evil era reenactment. A whole host of varied swords with most being rather short and double-edged, a few spears with roughened up wooden handles, and laying down at the bottom a club was there as well.

Slowly, Liam's eyes traveled up and down the rack's items before he reached down towards what most would describe as a bronze ball at the end of a stick. It didn't have any spikes or anything else, but Liam felt like it'd do the best for him.

_I wish there was a shield. _Thought Liam as he hefted up the weapon he chose.

From behind him, he could hear one of Clarisse's cabins mate jeer, "Really, the fucking club? What are you one Hephaestus' kids?"

Liam tried his best to ignore him as he trudged up the stage. That went well at first before the teenager called out once more saying, "Bet your mom threw you out too!" (1)

Grinding his teeth together Liam pulled himself onto the stage across from his opponent who had been surprisingly quiet that whole time. He looked over to where she stood in the arena's other corner before asking, "So how do we do this?"

Clarisse's bloodthirsty look quickly became confused as she questioned, "What do you mean? We fight."

"I know that but are there rules or some-" began Liam before the girl interrupted him.

"Just two, no magic and no crying. Let's go!" interjected Clarrise as she hefted up the bronze spear she took from the rack.

Not surprising anyone in the entire arena the Ares Cabin member was the first to make a move. She rushed forward along the stone stage with her spear tucked under her right arm ready to gut Liam like a fish.

Liam's eyes dilated at the charge before he jumped out of the way. Luckily enough for him being in a large arena gave him a lot of room. He landed with a small thud a few feet to the right of Clarisse as the large girl came to a stop.

"Oh so bunny's got hops, huh?" called the girl as she turned back towards Liam.

The only other person on the stage stood still with his club still held in his dominant hand as he replied sarcastically asking, "Bunny? Really of all the stupid insults..."

In front of him, the girl suddenly lunged forward gripping her spear by the back end aiming towards his chest. Liam tried his best to step out of her spear's path but ultimately he just knocked her aim to the side.

A burning pain came from Liam's lower torso as Clarisse's spear skidded across his ribs flinging blood to the floor. A hand went down to Liam's side as he stepped back, biting his lip in pain. Unlike the wound, his hand felt a spray of cool blood from his side before it began to slow.

"First blood!" cheered the girl with a happy smile.

Slowly, Liam began to feel a frothy sea of anger bubble in his chest as he stood back up not making a noise. Putting a stranglehold on the club Liam ran forward his anger spurring him on.

The muscular girl gripped her spear with both hands and swung it to the side in an arc as he approached. With reflexes, no normal human would be able to match Liam grabbed the spear's shaft with his right hand stopping its arc.

The spear girl's manic grin faded as she looked in front of her to see that Liam caught her weapon's end just before it hit him. Gripping the wood harder she started to pull it back.

Outside in the crowd, both sides were having very different reactions. The Ares cabin was bellowing and cheering at every move made from either side while the Hermes cabin was quietly staring and talking among themselves.

Away from the crowds, a blonde-haired teenager was watching the fight with fervent interest. Much like the rest of his brothers and sisters he had the same shady look about him given to them by their father. Unlike the rest of them, his face was marred by a four-inch-long scar under his right eye.

Meanwhile back in the ring, Liam felt like he couldn't hold onto her weapon for much longer and panic had begun to spring up in his mind. Not being close enough to actually hit her Liam had hurriedly looked for a way to do something. Looking at the hand quietly wrapped around his end of the spear a plan came to mind.

At the spear's other end, Clarisse was finding it a tough time to wrench free her spear from Liam's grasp. Giving out a grunt she pulled with her body weight behind the shaft hoping to get it free but a loud crunch and jarring pain in her fingers made her stop.

As quickly as he could, Liam brought his bronze club overhead then as the weighted metal reached its peak he slammed it down right onto the girl's fingers. Almost immediately he felt all the weight pulling back on her spear leave as loud crack rang out through the arena.

"Gods damn you!" cried Clarisse as she pulled back leaving her spear it in Liam's hand.

Throwing the bronze-headed spear off the stage Liam called out, "Give up, you're not gonna beat me."

Clarisse didn't take to kindly to that.

A few feet in front of him, Liam saw her head dip down almost as if she were starting to nod. Then he saw her entire posture went with it, pushing her center of gravity as low as she could possibly reach. This time with a raging yell Clarisse charged forward intending to knock Liam to the ground.

Liam tried to dodge out of the way but being so close and wearing jeans and a jacket he just couldn't maneuver around her.

Both of them were flung to the stone below with Clarisse on top angrily slamming him into the ground. Liam felt the wind get knocked out of him as his breath raced out of his lungs while his club was thrown to the side. Above him, he could feel a crushing pressure from the girl directly around his neck.

Say what you want about the girl, but those arms weren't for show.

As Clarisse forced him to the ground she pulled him into a headlock ignoring her injured hand with not so much as a grimace at the pain. Underneath her, Liam tried desperately to get a breath of air which his chocked windpipe just wouldn't allow.

Slowly, as Liam was deprived of air more rational thoughts started to flee his brain; his instincts took over. At first, he tried to pull off her arm tearing at it with his nails as he did, but Clarisse just wouldn't budge. Then his mind started yelling at him to do something, anything to getaway.

_I-I'm gonna die! _Thought Liam as black spots started to appear in his vision. (2)

The feeling of something so vital taken from him was terrifying. it denied all rational thought and with it came something he was trying very hard to hide. A sickening feel came from the top of his mouth as Liam flexed a muscle he tried desperately to ignore.

Slowly his eyes zeroed in on the arm right below his mouth as the orifice opened revealing two large fangs. Pushing his chin down as far as he could Liam tried to bite a hole in her arm, luckily for him, something interrupted the two.

"Clarisse, get off him. You're gonna kill him!" yelled out a voice from behind them on the stage.

From his worsening vision and pain all throughout his chest, Liam could tell that she didn't let up. Behind them, he heard hurried footsteps before the pressure suddenly disappeared. Coughing, Liam gasped for air on his knees.

Meanwhile above him holding onto Clarisse who was still struggling to get back at Liam was someone who most other people in Camp Half-blood would know by name. Above him stood one Luke Castellan.

Slowly the girl's struggling slowed as Luke asked, "What in Hades do you think you were doing Clarisse?"

Said girl finally being brought out of her fight took a second to calm herself before answering. Stubbornly she pushed herself from the scarred boy's grasp before replying with, "W-We were just sparring."

Luke looked over to Liam who had a blood-stained jacket and sitting on the ground in front of them. Slowly his eyes drifted back over to Clarisse and he noticed a couple of her fingers were bent at an awkward angle.

"You call that sparring? You'd have killed have him if I didn't stop you," commented Luke looking at Clarisse with a disappointed look.

Clarisse looked over to the kid still on the floor and slowly her attitude seemed to drop as a guilty look washed onto her face before quickly fleeing. Apprehensively she walked over to Liam and leaned down towards him before firmly grasping his shoulder using her uninjured hand.

With a hard tug, Liam was pulled upright coming face to face with the girl that put him in the position in the first place. For a second Clarisse stared at him before she seemed to suddenly make up her mind.

"That was fun...I should have stopped earlier-" she began before stopping mid-sentence.

Clarisse's eyes traveled down to her wound then Liam's own before finishing it off saying, "If you wanna learn how to actually use that thing...come talk to me." sounding a bit more remorseful than before.

Having said her not so apologetic apology the girl quickly headed off towards the rest of her cabin mates who all seemed to lose interest in the affair after the fight ended.

_That's the best I'll get I guess. _Though Liam as he watched her walk away.

The other person on the stage tried his best to put on an award-winning smile before quickly giving Liam a solemn pat on the shoulder then saying, "You're welcome, newbie. Heard about you from Chiron this morning. Hell of a first day, huh?"

Liam thought back to the Empousa stabbing him through the shoulder he disagreed, "Eh, I've had worse."

Luke didn't seem to react to the comment but looked down at the wound at his side. His jacket was cut through in a wide arc by his ribs and the blue color was stained an unsightly brown. With a frown, Luke told Liam, "Take off that stuffy thing, I don't know why in the hell you thought it was a good idea to fight in jeans and a winter jacket in the first place."

Sheepishly Liam rubbed the top of his head as he replied, "It was just what I had on. I didn't bring anything else."

Luke gave him a wry smile before finally introducing himself, "Name's Luke Castellan current Head Counselor of the Hermes cabin, at your service." with an overly dramatic bow.

Ever since Liam's first night with this whole supernatural part of the world, he's learned at least one thing and that thing was to just roll with it. Not that he'd be able to do much else; there was just too much stuff that nobody was willing, or able, to tell him. He guessed he'd get to the juicy bits eventually.

"You already know my name, but I'll go through with this anyway. Name's Liam Davis, sup." monotoned Liam as the scarred boy across from them motioned for them to head off-stage.

Luke was first jumping off without so much as a grunt before landing on the heavily trodden dirt below. Following just behind him was Liam holding his jacket in one hand and the bronze club in the other. Just like his jacket Liam's shirt was cut open near his rib cage and stained and now drying red.

"Let's get that cut taken care of," called out Luke as he walked out towards the arena's main exit all of his cabin mates following close behind.

-Inside the Mess Hall, Lunch-

"So what I just say what I want and it'll appear?" asked Liam with a skeptical look on his face as Luke handed him an empty goblet.

Luke pushed himself into an open space nearby on the Hermes Cabin Table before replying. Whispering something under his breath the scarred Counselor took a deep swig from his own goblet then reassured, "Yep, just say whatever you want and as long as it's not alcoholic it should just appear."

After Liam's little soiree with Clarisse, Luke had taken it upon himself to make the kid feel a little more welcome than a spear to the ribs. Technically the Hermes cabin was supposed to be practicing in the arena till ten but them leaving a few minutes early wouldn't bother anybody. It also gave him a good excuse to keep the Stoll twins in sight without them complaining again. Luke ended up giving him a quick introduction to a few of his cabin mates and a quick tour of the camp if you could call it that. A quick dose of ambrosia later and a little tour later, it was almost time for lunch.

Well, after getting Liam decked out in bright orange like everyone else at camp.

Liam looked down at the golden goblet before thinking _What the hell._

"Root Beer," ordered Liam while staring down into his empty cup.

As soon as the words left his mouth a light fizzing noise could be heard amongst the rambunctious talking before Liam's glass was magically filled with the brown soda. Liam quickly picked up the goblet before giving it a taste.

"Haah, nothing tastes better!" cheered Liam as he downed half the cup in one swig.

Looking at the empty plates in front of him Liam began to wonder _Where do we get the food?_

Almost immediately Liam's question was answered as a large assortment of beautiful women came from outside the dining pavilion carrying what seemed to be large platters of food in either of their arms.

Nymphs. Around thirty of them went about to each different table with people sitting at them and laid out the large platters in front of the kids. The platters themselves didn't seem to have as much variety as the drinks though.

The platters were filled with a random assortment of fruit (primarily grapes), cheeses, bread, and what looked like freshly cooked meats. One platter got sat in front of Liam by a girl that looked to be his age who just barely met his eyes as she walked past.

She was about five foot four with no real makeup on to speak of but that didn't pull away from her beauty. It was almost inhuman in a way, how her hair seemed to perfectly blend together with her green outfit or how her face seemed just a little _too_ pointed and angular.

Staring at him the nymph gave a silent wink before continuing on. Liam's face burned before he quickly looked away. _Wait a minute...how can I blush in the first place?_ Thought Liam as everyone around him filled their plates.

Shrugging it off he proceeded to grab a little bit of everything, focusing more on the meat than anything else. Slowly Liam's plate was completely filled with a meal that certainly gave him a rustic vibe before he noticed something.

Everyone else was standing up.

"Hey what are you guys doing?" asked Liam oblivious to the Hermes cabin march over towards the bonfire.

One of the twins turned back towards him, If Liam was remembering correctly this one was Connor, then explained, "An offering...it's respectful I guess. Supposedly they like the smell."

Looking at the line of people burning large portions of their meal Liam whispered, "weird."

From behind him the boy felt a familiar hand latch onto his shoulder and push him forward as Luke said, "Come on, just go along with it."

Liam gave him a silent nod before getting in line behind everyone else from his cabin. After what seemed like a solid ten minutes of watching people waste their food Liam finally arrived in front of the fire. Startling Liam a bit, there was someone in front of him.

Out in front of him leaned over the fire was a rather short young girl, who looked like red riding hood's long lost sister. Over her entire body was a silky red cloak while in her small hands was a stick which she used to periodically poke at the fire. Looking closer Liam could just barely see brown hair poking out from beneath the hood. (3)

"W-Who's that?" whispered Liam at the sudden appearance.

From behind him, Liam could hear Luke quietly ask, "Who?"

Liam took a quick peek over his shoulder at Luke before turning back to the girl pointing out his finger. In a quiet tone, Liam muttered, "She's right there..."

The little girl was gone like the wind, leaving him with nothing but a plate of food and the roaring fire in front of him. _G-Ghost? _Thought Liam blindly staring at the spot in which she stood.

Luke looked over to where he was pointing before saying, "Dood no one's there. Go up there already."

The fledgling took one last look at the place where she stood before dumping a part of his food in the brazier. As soon as the meat touched the flame below Liam could smell cooked steak as the meat almost immediately disintegrated in the flames.

_To whoever cares I guess..._thought Liam quietly looking up into the sky.

The rest of the meal went fairly normal for what Liam could expect out of a camp for demi-gods. There was some yelling and fighting coming from a particular table near the back (See Ares cabin for more details) and some other kids dressed primarily in pink that started screeching at each other over some boy. That was until one more kid walked in.

Coming in from the outside was a younger kid that had short-cropped black hair and sea-green eyes. As he entered the room the boy's eyes longingly looked at the Hermes table before he went over to one of the three emptied ones upfront near were Chiron and Mr. D were sitting.

All around the pavilion hushed whispers were heard as the boy took his seat and one girl, in particular, glared a hole through the back of his head. Liam recognized the chick pretty well as just a few hours ago she had her arms wrapped around his throat.

Slowly Liam leaned over towards Luke and asked, "Who's that?"

The green-eyed boy quickly scampered over to the bonfire with his food in tow before haphazardly tossing some into it. After that, he gave one final nervous glance at all the eyes staring at him before running out of the Mess Hall bringing the plate with him.

"His name's Percy. He uh...no his dad's someone important. One of the Big Three." explained Luke still eating unlike everyone else, acting as if nothing happened.

Liam gave a glance to the back of the running kid's head before turning back towards the scarred Counselor and puzzling, "The Big Three?"

Luke gave him an annoyed look before letting out a low sigh.

"Chiron wasn't lying was he? You don't know anything about the gods..." muttered Luke before taking a second to think.

Liam thought about snarky back at Luke but it wouldn't do him any good so he coaxed, "Why don't you enlighten me then?"

"I'm not much for lecturing. Go talk to cabin six about it if you wanna know all about it, but they're basically the most powerful of the gods. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They're not supposed to have kids..." answered Luke with a scowl on his face at the topic.

Liam popped another grape in his mouth before trying to think of another way to approach the subject. Seeing the expression growing onto Luke's face Liam decided to just change the subject to something else. The Counselor looked downright sinister when the shadows passed over his scarred eye at the right angle.

"What did you say we have after this?" lightly questioned Liam trying to bring Luke out of his 'funk.'

Luke's countenance almost immediately shifted at Liam's question before his usual demeanor came back twenty-four karat smile and all. Turning back towards Liam the Head Counselor responded, "Next up is archery, newbie."

_Oh, great..._ sarcastically thought Liam in his head.

-Near the Camp's Strawberry Fields-

Just a short walk away in one of the many strawberry fields stood a Satyr who much like the rest of his brethren at the camp spent his time tending the fields and surrounding wilds. This Satyr's name was Fran, unlike the rest of his kin he had something more to worry about.

That namely being the rabid wine god who had been out to get him ever since he woke him up during the night.

Pulling out a weed and throwing it behind him Fran thought _Oh no, he'll go after the poor Satyr who delivered the message but not the Centaur that sent it in the first place. Ass wipe._

Fran wiped some of the sweat off his brow before looking down at the wooden bucket at his side. Slowly he began to pour out the rest of it evenly on the budding berries below before pulling out a row of reeds.

Giving it a test blow Fran grumbled, "Stay safe they said. Don't go out of the camp they said. And where did that get me?"

The Satyr played a light tune on his reeds that seemed to only make the budding berries shake with the tune. After finishing the song with an estranged growl fruit suddenly burst forth from the buds below him quickly ripening to a wholesome red.

"Stuck back in the fields, again!" seethed Fran as he picked up his empty wooden bucket.

Slowly he trudged his way over from the fields towards the camp lake to draw some more water for his plants. Fran gave a cursory glare towards the Big House where the source of all his problems was most likely sitting on his ass with a coke in hand.

After a few minutes of his goat feet impacting the dirt, the Satyr finally reached his destination. Out in front of him were the clear blue waters from which he drew for the fields.

A perverted smile came onto his face as he said, "That and the all too beautiful naiads. Looking like a double-wide su-"

Cutting off his perverted rant was a grapevine that inexplicably wrapped around his foot tripping him.

"Oh, fuck you too!" growled the Satyr as he pushed himself back up from the ground and leaned down towards the lake.

Unbeknownst to him, something below was watching.

Slowly his hand broke the water's surface as a layer of ripples disrupted the pond's peaceful atmosphere. Fran pushed his wooden bucket down below waiting for the water to rush inside. Absentmindedly the Satyr moved his view down into the depths below.

"What the?" called out the Satyr as two horse-like eyes met his own.

_A Hippocampus? _Thought the Satyr before noticing the three-pronged horns jutting out from its skull.

It was large terribly large, almost the size of one of the smaller cabins in the camp. Then there was the amphibian-like skin polka-dotted with splotches of black that matched the skin on its head. Each of its limbs ended in long terrible claws that seemed sharp enough to shave with.

Fran's heart rate quickly picked up as he stared on like a deer in the headlights.

Below him, he saw the mouth of the thing open to reveal a maw of teeth that had no reason being in any type of horse before he got out one last word.

"T-Tooth Tyrant?" stuttered the Satyr.

That day would be the last anyone would ever see of Fran the Satyr. No one would be able to find a single trace of him after the fact, not his mother, not his father, nor his naiad girlfriend just around the corner. The only thing anyone would find is a wooden bucket floating in the camp's lake.

**AN: **T-T-T-T-That's all folks! I've been trying my best to get more in plot-wise but whenever I write a scene it's been ending up a lot longer than I intended. Don't really know what to think about that. There's more content but I'm having to split my chapters into parts now scene wise to keep it consistent. Hence the part 1 in the title.

The good thing about this chapter is that I got to use two of my favorite characters from the PJO series. Overall I really like Luke and Clarisse but I rarely if ever see them get used. Go ahead and tell me what you guys thought of how I portrayed them.

I tried my best to stay in character with each of them but doing that without playing Clarisse off as a complete asshole (which she is to an extent) is pretty hard. I'm trying my best to avoid the Ares cabin troupe where they end up as an early story villain. I've never really seen those campers or Ares for that matter be played off in a positive light.

Well, it's about time to move onto the citation/annotation things.

(1) This line is a reference to how Hera threw Hephaestus off of Olympus when he was a newborn because he was too ugly. The lore is a bit debatable here but it works for the line, either way, you try to spin it.

(2) I think I need to clarify on this scene a bit to describe just how terrifying being strangled or drowning really is. The lack of oxygen puts your brain into a 'panic' mode where your entire body is screaming at you that something is wrong even though it's not helping. Overall when I researched this a bit that type of stuff was pretty scary. It can send you into shock and a whole other nasty host of crap.

(3) I wonder who this could be? If you can't get this I gotta say I'm disappointed. Keeper of the Hearth anybody? The goddess of family and the only Olympian that I fully like, introducing Hestia no last name!

Well, it looks like we're out of time for this chapter gentlemen or gentleladies. Like always I encourage you all to tell me what you think; I'm open to any and all criticism.

I bid you adieu

Oh, wait I don't say that hold on...

What was it again?

Oh yeah!

~ciao


	9. First Day part 2

**AN: **Sup! It's that time again so let's get back into Camp Half-blood with Liam's first day. No guest reviews today either so let's just jump into it! Also like last time I'll check for them again before posting.

**Post-editing: **There's a review now!

Oh yeah, one more thing. On my profile, I post updates about the chapter progress to all of my stories so if you wanna know how it's going you can look there. I also posted the link to my freshly made Discord server Fiction Cave so check it out if you want. I kinda forgot to mention that for this fic so...sorry

Guest #1: I tried my best to make Liam just a normal kid at the start of this. Almost every character in the PJO universe had some foreknowledge on Greek history. He's not really book smart and there is no real reason for him to know much about Greek mythology. Also, I can see what you mean with that being the typical reaction; I tried to keep all the events freaking him out but he's being desensitized pretty quick

For your last part I think it's on you my man. I haven't played Disgaea 5 myself, might check it out in the future though. If you don't mind me asking what was it that you thought was a reference? Last off thanks for the review!

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

First Day part 2

Liam stood bow in hand staring at a line of teenagers wearing orange as they drew back their own bows before a loud series of thumps rang out in the clearing. At the end of the line, Chiron stalked about critiquing the different camper's form and overall accuracy.

"Too high and you veered towards the left. Try again Chris." chided the Centaur who stopped his walk next to one of the other Hermes campers.

The boy next to the Activities Director didn't make any comments but he complied. Taking the long wooden bow and knocking an arrow on its side. Chris drew in a deep breath as he pulled back the bow's string and as his lungs reached capacity the boy fired.

The primitive-looking arrow whistled towards the targets just downrange before another familiar thump was heard. Liam looked over to the target seeing it much closer to the middle but still off from the center.

Chiron's eyes narrowed as he stared towards the target before he quietly said, "Passable. Keep practicing."

Liam looked downrange at the empty target before thinking, _Dammit Luke why'd you leave me here?_

After lunch in the Mess Hall, Luke rounded up all of the Hermes cabin members before rushing them down towards the North of the strawberry fields. After getting there most of the cabin members lined up along what looked like a line of racks that each carried a singular longbow and a mix of sharpened bronze arrows.

The only two that didn't join the line were the twins.

They both searched the range when the cabin first arrived noticing Chiron's absence before giving each other a look then running off. It only took Luke a few seconds to notice their missing presence before he ran off after them cursing, "I let you two out of my sight for one minute!"

Shortly after which Chiron trotted up to the range carrying a bow in hand to begin his 'lesson.'

Awkwardly gripping the bow in his hand Liam continued to fumble around trying to figure out how to use the damned thing. At first, he tried copying the others but after almost stabbing himself with his own arrow he decided to wait for Chiron to reach him.

Slowly time ticked by as the Teacher of Heroes gave each of the members of the Hermes cabin their own personal few minutes of guidance. Thinking back to a certain child who used to be in the cabin Chiron muttered, "Some more than others..."

The next student was the last one in the line; he looked over to the last camper on the far right of the archery range. Out in front of him, the Centaur saw Liam fumbling about with his bow.

Walking over to the camp's newest resident Chiron asked, "I take it that you've never used a longbow?"

Liam in all of his bow-wielding glory was currently trying to turn the thing sideways to make the arrow stay knocked in place. To make a long, and painful, story short it wasn't working out well for him. The fledglings arm had long red welts dotted along his forearm; the things were easily noticeable on his pale skin.

Pulling out of his most recent attempt to fire the weapon Liam answered, "Try never used a bow at all. I've lived in the city for almost my whole life."

"Never been hunting then?" inquired Chiron looking at Liam's grip on the longbow's handle.

Liam flashed him an incredulous look as he corrected, "No my Dad used to take me. We always used guns though."

Giving Liam a curt nod the Activities Director stuck both of his hands out, one went to Liam's wrist while the other gripped his bow. Pushing the boy's hand down just below the weapon's middle Chiron lectured, "That explains your grip then. Always try to keep your dominant hand just below the middle."

Liam let the Centaur readjust his grip then asked, "Like that?"

The centuries-old teacher looked down at where Liam's hands were placed then gave him a short nod. Chiron leaned his torso down grabbing one of the many hand-feathered arrows below before handing it to the boy.

"Take the same position you just had and knock the arrow by leaning it off the crook of your pointer finger." taught Chiron while critiquing Liam's footwork in his head.

Liam followed his directions to the letter sticking the string of the bow between the small notch on the backside of the arrow. After that, he positioned the shaft so it was riding along with the bow and his pointer finger's knuckle. To his side, Chiron commented, "Good!"

"Now as you draw take a deep breath; when your lungs fill let the arrow fly and breathe out." continued Chiron with a smile.

_Alright, I got this. _Thought Liam as he slowly pulled back the arrow.

A whistling sound chirped in front of him as Liam let go of the string of the bow. Excited he stared out in front of him waiting for it to land. Less than a second later the whistling stopped as a low thud echoed in the clearing followed by flying dirt.

Chuckling Chiron said, "Well at least you got it downrange. Next time let's try to hit the target, ya?" looking down at Liam's arrow embedded in the dirt a few feet in front of his mark. (1)

The rest of Liam's archery block went fairly well. Slowly after taking more and more shots he started to be able to get more on target until he began to actually hit his mark for once, not that it was anything more than near the outer edge.

Chiron continued on with his rotations going through and spending time with each different Hermes Cabin member as he saw they needed help. The Centaur looked up at the afternoon sun before thinking _let's finish my last roundabout._

Meanwhile just outside the range, another group of mixed individuals was approaching for the last activity they had to do for the day. That cabin would be known to most as the Apollo cabin lead by their Head Counselor, Lee Fletcher, who was mostly known as a brave ray of sunshine when compared with the other Fletcher in the cabin.

Unlike the rest of the campers currently in the range, most if not all of these ones were approaching with their own personal equipment. Their supplies ranged from personal bows and arrows all the way to their own arm guards.

Pushing forward at a brisk pace from the rest of them was the less liked Fletcher. The teenager, Fletcher Yew, was already rather irritated from his day after a run-in with his least liked, no hated individual in the camp.

Percy Jackson.

Fletcher could honestly say that he hated the stuck up prick. Fletcher didn't always think like that though. No, when he first met Percy Fletcher thought the kid was pretty okay. However, it only went downhill from there.

When Percy first arrived a few weeks ago that was all anyone in the camp bothered to talk about. Fletcher couldn't really understand it until he heard the story. As it turns out the kid somehow had gotten into a fight with not only a Fury but the Minotaur as well. Oh he won the battle all right but did he deserve it?

_No! _growled Fletcher in his head.

Percy didn't have the honor nor the prestige to be a hero in Fletcher's mind. It was more likely the kid was just lying to get special treatment, but then last Friday during capture the flag he got claimed.

Grinding his teeth together Fletcher replayed the moment in his head.

The fight in the water with the hell-hound beating him to a pulp. Chiron running in to save Percy as almost everyone surrounded him. Then there was the blasted symbol that appeared over his head. After all that Chiron had the audacity to ask the campers to kneel.

To kneel to him!

The twelve-year-old kid who's balls haven't even dropped yet!

Behind Apollo's most angry son, Michael Yew gave a worried glance at his brother who kept on with his furious march towards the archery range. The murderous look on his face was starting to worry Michael. Fletcher had gone out after lunch only to came back pissed all to Hades. Earlier Michael had tried to talk him out of his rut too, but his brother wouldn't budge.

Then came along what to Fletcher might as well have been Percy Jackson V2.

_Another fucking celebrity. _bitterly thought Fletcher as his he finally came upon the archery range.

Liam who in the middle of the night popped up out of nowhere and suddenly was the talk of the camp because he got into a fight with an Empousa. An impressive feat for a male demi-god that's for sure, but he had the same attitude as the other little prick.

Remembering the lazy and lackluster first meeting with the kid only set him off more. Fletcher had no idea why Chiron seemed to like them so much; it was maddening.

"They're just a bunch of lazy, lying bastards," grumbled Fletcher still angrily stomping forwards leaving his cabin mates behind.

Slowly Fletcher's eyes came to see Chiron doing his usual walk back and forth down the line helping each wannabe archer in his own little way. The Centaur seemed almost happy to do so with each question asked only making him seem more and more cheerful.

It was the Teacher of Heroes greatest dream after all.

Fletcher shoved his slow-burning anger down deep into his gullet before approaching. From the look of things, Chiron seemed to be heading towards the far right end. Unlike before a small happy grin came onto his face as Fletcher walked up to the line.

This was always what he did best; there was no one better. _Nothing but me, my bow, and the wind. _thought Fletcher as he claimed one of the empty targets as his own.

Some might think his way of thinking cocky but Fletcher would just say, "It's not cocky if it's true."

Pulling three arrows out of his leather quiver and into his free hand the teenager took his normal stance. His back was squared off while his right foot was stuck forward. The Archer's left foot was diagonal to his right while sitting in the palm of his dominant hand was his gold-painted bow. He had to match his father after all. Preparing for his shot, Fletcher stared down the target fifty feet away.

He had three shots to hit the red dot painted in the middle of the target's circle, not that Fletcher thought that he would miss a single one.

Explosively he drew back his bow and released the first shot. It thrummed through the air letting out the telltale whistling sound of most of the camp's arrows. The second shot followed soon after chasing after the first. The final arrow brought up the rear heading dead center towards the targets middle.

Looking over at the target Fletcher let out a low, "Tch!"

Fletcher's second shot was slightly off-center landing in the first ring instead of where he originally aimed. Down the range Fletcher could hear Chiron yell, "Block's over, move along!"

Looking to the right towards Chiron's voice Fletcher noticed a face that immediately unearthed his buried frustrations.

Standing right next to the Activities Director with a sheepish smile on his face and a trainee bow in his hand was Liam Davis. The boy looked downrange at his pitiful shots before saying, "I guess, archery just isn't my thing..."

Chiron's tail swished before he quickly replied, "Nonsense! Everyone has to start somewhere. Just keep practicing and you'll do fine."

The boy's look slowly faded before he gave a quick nod.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Hermes Cabin started to clear out with one giving a curious peek behind before they yelled out, "Newbie next up is our free block!"

Fletcher gave Liam one last burning glare as he walked away before an idea came to Fletcher's mind.

"Little bastard's gonna get what's coming to him," growled Fletcher under his breath staring at the forest a small distance behind Cabin Eleven.

-Near the Camp's Forest-

It turned out the free block that Liam was told about was just that, a free block. The cabin could spend their time doing basically whatever they wanted until dinner. Liam's cabin mates had urged him to follow them back to Hermes Cabin which ended up being the most normal out of any of the others there.

It looked like a completely normal wooden cabin except that it had a staff over the door with two twining snakes running up its length. The cabin's dull brown paint was chipped from years in the sunlight with little curls of brown falling down to the ground near the cabin's edge. The inside wasn't so great either with the furniture being worn or even broken all throughout the place. It looked like the place had been used and abused for years.

Liam spent a grand total of twenty minutes in the boring building before deciding to go out a bit and look around. Surprising Liam, none of his cabin-mates really cared and without Luke there to stop him the boy took off looking around the place.

However, Liam's little adventure was cut short when he stumbled across the camp's forest just a short distance away from the Hermes Cabin. The place was filled with huge trees much like the pine where he came in that seemed to tower overhead filling; they seemed to fill the forest floor below with dark shadows that screamed "Beware of monsters!" at the top of their lungs. Just as he was about to pass it by Liam swore he heard someone's voice. Curiously the boy stared into its depths.

Giving a glance up at the fading sun Liam took one apprehensive step backward. Underneath Liam's foot, brown-colored leaves crunched as he slowly turned back.

"What are you scared?" jeered a male voice hidden from Liam's view.

Liam flinched at the voice before reeling towards it. Now in front of him stood the same boy Liam met that morning. Fletcher Yew.

Standing in a sun-bleached orange t-shirt Fletcher lightly gripped his bow with a smirk on his face. His golden-blonde hair was sticking up in long curls while the blue orbs in his head were giving Liam a hateful glare.

Fletcher casually pulled an arrow out of the leather quiver strapped to his back before saying, "Why don't go out and look a bit? There's nothing there that'll hurt you."

The other boy could tell something was wrong just from the way Fletcher was talking. It was in the same vein of multiple people from his school life, who Liam would rather just forget. His voice had a certain hateful tone to it that sent a warning sign directly to Liam's head. Well all that and the weapon he was brandishing.

**He lies.** commented the voice from Liam's mind.

Liam once again flinched at the unwelcome noise before looking back towards his other 'companion.' Fletcher was staring at him with an almost wicked look in his eye. Suddenly the Archer marched to the left blocking Liam's path back towards the cabin, standing threateningly with his bow still in hand.

"Why would I want to go out there? Besides, it's getting dark anyway." prodded Liam attentively watching the other boy's hands waiting for so much as a twitch.

Fletcher's disingenuous smile stretched a little further as he dared, "Just go out there for a bit you pussy. Call it camp initiation."

Liam silently thought _Great... _as his eyes started to look for a way out of this.

Tentatively Liam brought one foot forward making a slight imprint on the dirt below.

A sharp whistling noise cut through the air as a single arrow was drawn and fired faster than any normal human would think possible. A singular bronze-tipped arrowhead embedded itself in the dirt less than an inch away from Liam's foot. If Liam's heart could beat, it would be pounding.

"What the hell's your problem?" growled Liam scrunching up his nose and lip into a snarl.

The other boy, still with the same subtle smile, answered: "You wanna know what my problem is? My fucking problem is that people like _you_ don't know their godsdamned place!"

Fletcher's hand shot itself back up towards his back pulling out another arrow before notching it in place with practiced swagger. Still keeping up the same stance the boy gave Liam another scalding look before raging, "When your senior tells you to do something, you do it!"

**Coward. **denounced the voice as Liam continued to stare at him in silence.

Slowly the fledgling began to feel heat build-up in his chest as he thought back _Shut up!_

The grueling voice ignored his plea before spitting out, **He's weak. Pathetic. Kill him!**

More pressure started to build up as Liam brought one of his hands up to his head. As Liam's fingers met cool skin he voraciously shook his head. The boy could feel an almost intangible pressure yelling at him, no screaming at him to do what the voice said. In a way it was tantalizing, yet it felt all too similar to how he reacted the Empousa and Lamae from before. However, it didn't feel alarming at all; it was almost like the voice was encouraging him in its own psychotic way.

It never seemed to mean Liam harm at least.

Liam felt the burning sensation head towards the back of his throat before it quickly settled as he stared at the boy across from him. Fletcher was still standing there with a mocking smile on his face, bow in hand ready to shoot.

**Snap his puny mortal body over your knee! **Seethed the voice with expectant blood-lust.

"I said shut up!" yelled the fledgling as he began to see red.

Meanwhile Fletcher had no idea of what to think. A small part of him thought _Did I go too far? _before he ruthlessly quashed it down. A single look at the kid's face was enough to tell otherwise.

_What is he crazy? _pondered Fletcher as the boy in front of him looked more and more bothered by the second.

Slowly Liam's hands dropped away from his head before one softly rubbed his throat. A low growl echoed through the forest's edge as the boy finally let his arms go limp. Fletcher's jaw dropped as he stared on in horror.

"W-What the hell are you?" asked the Archer taking a step back

The boy's seemingly normal brown eyes started to take on a shade of glowing crimson as the growl came to an end. Around them the sounds of birds stopped as the red started to spread out to the rest of Liam's face. His veins glowed red with thinly veiled irritation. Liam's fingers curled as explosive power flexed within his limbs. A pregnant silence opened on the camp's edge as the two Liam's upper lip curled into a snarl revealing two large fangs primed to kill.

Fletcher felt something in him that all Greek demi-gods would, something most would refer to as their 'Battle Reflexes' or as the rest of the world called it ADHD. The Archer's nerves were twitchy ready to be quick fired at any sign of movement. Swallowing down his nervous fit the demi-god stood his ground.

The vampire attacked first.

Shooting across the short distance between them at a record time, Liam rushed forward with his defense left behind where he started. Thunderous feet impacted cold dirt as Apollo's son nervously fired off a shot.

A whistling noise ran through the air to Liam's left as he reached his target. Fletcher pulled back as quickly as he could but the Archer just wasn't fast enough.

Liam's fist impacted the boy's chest with a mighty "Umph!" pushing Fletcher backward as spittle flew from his mouth. The demi-god instinctively jumped backward with the hit putting more distance between him and Liam.

An arrow laid on a bow's string.

Fletcher's second arrow flew, this time with the practiced discipline of one of the best archers at camp. Liam's entire left side stumbled as a celestial bronze arrow impacted itself deep into his rib cage. Through his rage, the vampire could feel a blazing heat come from the wound that quickly dulled to aching pains. Ultimately, the weapon blew a hole all the way through Liam bringing a spindle of flesh out his back.

Liam's eyes seemed to lose their overzealous fury as he slowly looked down to see an arrow shaft embedded into his ribs. Almost as soon as the rage was lost intelligence came back to the boy's eyes as he muttered, "W-What?"

Fletcher's fearful look faded as Liam stumbled around the arrow still embedded below his chest. Slowly an idea came to Fletcher's mind.

_I could be just like them...a monster hunter. Only this time, I deserve it. _Thought Fletcher while pulling out another arrow from the wooden quiver on his back.

Liam's mind hurriedly tracked back the events of the last few minutes. The voice, his thirst, a blank spot, then finally the searing pain. His still flaming maroon eyes looked back up from the arrow in his side to see another one aimed straight at his head.

Out in front of him Fletcher stood with a vindictive smile on his face bowstring drawn. Liam felt a small semblance of fear shoot through him as he put strength into his legs attempting to leap behind a tree inside the darkened forest. Exploding forward the boy took his jump.

Another projectile flung itself from Fletcher's bow only to miss its mark. A long winding whistle went deep into the forest trailing just behind the arrow that caused it. Fletcher angrily stomped one of his feet before cursing, "Shit!"

Liam ended up landing just behind a nearby decaying cedar; trying his best not to agitate his wound, the fledgling took a curious peek from his place in the dark.

Just outside the forest's edge prowled Fletcher with his bow still in hand nervously looking into the tree-line's shadows that only seemed to lengthen further as the sun continued its descent. The Archer's eyes nervously darted around in the darkness before he said, "Shit, Shit, Shit!" while randomly firing arrows off into the inky black forest in front of him.

Each of the arrows unceremoniously plunked into the sides of unfortunate trees or into the loose, leaf litter piled all over the forest ground. Liam gave a shallow sigh of relief; it seemed like Fletcher didn't know where he was at.

"Come out already you pansy!" provoked the archer with a sneer.

Liam didn't say anything as he laid his right side up against the old cedar before taking a look at the new hole in his torso.

Thanks to the boy's vampiric abilities the wound wasn't bleeding, but that didn't stop the aching pain. It came from all over his left side, within his body and from without. Tentatively, Liam tapped the arrow's feathered backside sticking out of his wound.

All it took was a slight touch and the aching instantly turned into a mind-boggling fire. Searing heat came from the wound as rough wood pushed against his soft insides. The boy let out a soft hiss of distress.

A bit of his earlier rage came back as he growled, _Why in the hell do you always have to do that crap? You're gonna get me killed! _to the voice in his head.

Still watching along the forests perimeter Fletcher yelled out, "Get out here already, little monster!"

Liam didn't pay him any mind as he lightly touched the arrow once more. Thinking back to a few of his favorite T.V. shows an idea came to the boy's mind. Biting his lip Liam thought _I should just be able to pull it out, right? _(2)

Liam bit his lip while thinking _Just gotta break off the end first..._

In the forest's silent ambiance the sound of what could be thought of as a twig snapping hit Fletcher's ears. Narrowing his eyes the boy took a pot shot at where it came from. Celestial Bronze met wood as his arrow disappeared into the darkness then let out a loud "Thwack!"

As soon as the projectile struck, Liam recoiled feeling the tree behind him shake slightly. Trying his best to keep quiet, the fledgling gripped the now featherless arrow near its head before taking a deep breath.

"One...two...three," whispered Liam before yanking the rest of the shaft from his side.

Another wave of blinding pain hit Liam's mind as he doubled over with his vision blurring. If one were to be close enough they could hear labored breathes and grunts as Liam trembled on the ground with tears in his eyes. The wound itself already began to slowly close, gradually making a giant scab on either side of the pole-shaped injury.

Slowly Liam pulled himself back up as the sun sunk further down letting outs its final rays of light over the horizon. Liam's gaze shifted back over to where the archer stood, now in darkened grays or as Fletcher saw it no light at all.

**Use the night like a cloak. Hunt where the morsel cannot see. **suggested the voice as Liam continued to watch Fletcher like a hawk.

-Within the Camp's Forest-

Just out of view of the ongoing fight stood a man no one at the camp or otherwise would be able to recall. Wearing what looked like blue-hooded robes finely stitched together with a large yellow stripes running down the front was a man named Falion. (3)

His darkened red skin seemed to blend in well with the night; while beneath the man's blue robe black hair just barely poked out. Strapped to his belt were also two peculiar things to match his outfit with his unusual outfit.

The first was a small dagger with a wooden handle and leather sheath running along his left thigh. The man would claim the weapon was for self-defense but the armament had never been used as so. Not against the living at least.

The second was a rather large book daintily holding onto the leather belt that intertwined in and out of his blue clothes. It had no distinguishing markings but it looked rather well used. If one were to somehow get away from the grubby man's palms they would find Falion's handwritten research notes, not that many would be able to do so a feat let alone understand the writing in the first place.

The man let out a small, "Hmmm..." before raising one of his hands.

As it came up from his side Falion curled his fingers in a somewhat stiff manner before something otherworldly occurred.

Between his fingers an azure glow appeared that seemed to match his robes. The latent blue glow turned clear before Falion flexed his fingers. A soft crackling noise crinkled through the air as the white glow traveled up his arm all the way to his eyes.

The man's blue eyes started to glow a soft white as he whispered, "There, that's better."

Putting his left hand back down at his side Falion gazed at what was making all the ruckus near his hovel with the magic fading as he did so. What was in front of him was almost completely nonsensical to the man.

_Now how in Oblivion did you get in here? _Questioned the Mage as he saw what most would assume to be a young boy in front of him.

Not that the thing truly was. He could see through the creature's thinly veiled facade. A mockery of Arkay's work lain to ruin by the Father of Coldharbour. The child was a vampire. A walking corpse possessed by its own soul cursed to hunt the living.

Slowly walking further away from his humble abode Falion thought _An invitation perhaps?_

The Mage quickly shook his head then corrected himself by thinking, _No, no. None of the Greeks would let him within the borders let alone- _Falion stopped his train of thought to give a pointed look at the cut orange shirt the child had on his upper body before continuing -_give him that._

The Vampire kept giving worried glances out towards the camp from behind the tree from where he hid before pulling himself back. Falion's eyes drifted out further from the forest to see just who it was that had the little vampire hiding.

Around ten feet out from where the true forest began was one of the many campers that stalked the woods with a gold-painted bow in hand. _A child of the sun god by the looks of it. _commented Falion as he silently approached the fledgling in front of him.

The archer wildly screamed, "That's it you freak!" before walking forward into the darkness in front of him.

A bad mistake, especially for anyone seeking to best one of **that** prince's creations. Falion watched on with great interest as the archer continued to ramble in the dark.

"Did you think you tricked everybody? Did you think a little liar like you could do anything to me? Show yourself! Stop hiding like the meager coward you are and come out so I can be a hero." ranted Apollo's child all the while exposing himself in the dark.

With a grimace, Falion thought _Wonder what's up his ass?_

The Mage watched as the instincts of what all vampire were came into a play. Those creatures were the apex predators of the night. Above all, they were designed to dominate in it. Whether it be their superior vision, instincts, or even just their overall strength, vampires ruled the dark. The term night-stalkers didn't just pop up from nowhere.

The fledglings footsteps quietly harrowed out as he pushed from his cover and out into the open. Instinctively, the vampire's back curved as he ducked down further letting the night cloak his approach. His red eyes burned as he came upon the camper's back without so much as a single sound. Fangs bared the fledgling followed behind waiting for the archer to stop.

Falion once again brought up one of his hands before saying, "I think this has gone far enough."

The Mage's hand seemed to shift upwards in another practiced motion before pure blue energy accumulated in it once again. With a subtle twitch of his fingers the magicka turned a sickly green. Falion could feel sweat build on his brow as he thought _I never was much for Alteration._

The Mage shoved his hand forward and from a brightly lit green ball of magicka shot forth hitting Apollo's child square in the chest. As soon as the verdant sphere collided with the child's chest all of his limbs straightened out before he crumpled to the forest floor.

The vampire's red eyes widened as Falion came into his view.

"Tell me little monster, how did you break through this camp's borders?" quietly asked the Mage.

**AN: **That's it for now everybody. Holy moly writing the last two scenes took a lot out of me. I had a strong case of writer's block for a few hours and rewrote those scenes a bunch of times. Overall I liked how they ended up but redoing everything got annoying. I'm not going to comment much on what's going on besides the annotations/citations as some really interesting stuff is going to be happening soon.

Also as a quick side note, I'm proud to say I have the basic idea of where I want this story to end up and what I want to happen in it at the end. I have a notebook where I plan out the basics of my chapters in and I ended up writing the main plotline when I was bored yesterday so yay! I guess...

Let's just say things are going to keep getting more interesting ya? But for today let's move. Y'all know the drill by now so...Letsa go!

(1) I've personally used and did some research on using a bow without an arrow rest. Getting it down without any guidance and having never used a bow before would be fairly hard. For me the first time I shot one I skinned my arm because I didn't hold the composite bow right. Shit hurt...

(2) Liam's choice here is quite honestly the worst thing a living human could choose to do in this situation. Unfortunately that troupe of pulling the arrow out is really prevalent in the entertainment in America. The good thing for Liam is that he doesn't have to worry about bleeding out at least. Although if you ever get shot with an arrow you definitely shouldn't mess with the wound...you'd probably die.

(3) Falion is a character from the Elder Scrolls Skyrim. That's all your getting out of me for now, no other comments ya greedy bastards! Joking aside you can find more about his character online if you want although it's going to be different from my portrayal of him so take what is said with a grain of salt. Also because I know someone is going to ask about the possible *ahem* ritual, just wait for the next chapter/chapters. That's going to be explained soon if you know what I'm talking about. If not, don't worry about it. You'll get to learn more about it later.

Other than that I'm sorry to leave this chapter on a bit of a cliff hanger, but it had to be done. I'll start on the next chapter in a couple of days so check my profile for updates on it. Got nothing else for ya!

~adios

...wait crap, I did it again.

~ciao


	10. A Mage Under Labyrinthian

**Edit: **Fixed some minor grammar errors as well as clarifed a line describing connor stoll which could be taken the wrong way

**AN: **How you doing everybody? I've been doing fine and I'm gonna get back into it again this weekend so let's go! First up though we have two guest reviews today.

Guest #1: I'm glad it surprised you that was one of the main effects I went for. I had him planned to be in the story since I first put up this story. I'm not going to comment on the how though; you'll just have to make your own guesses. If you pay attention you should see hints at it in this chapter but that's on you. There are a lot of them throughout this chapter that helps to paint the picture to those with watchful eyes.

For the second part, there's no reason to apologize man. I was just curious as I looked the creature's up and they were just penguin looking things. You can go off on as many tangents as you want. Other than that thanks for the review!

Alex Martinez: Thanks for the review my man and thanks for the encouragement! And to your question yes you will. I'll be nice and say that there is one in the works fairly soon. I don't know how many chapters ahead it will be as some times I end up writing more or less depending on how it goes but definitely. Care to guess who it is? Also if you pay attention there's a reference to a different one in this chapter.

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line-skip-

A Mage Under Labyrinthian

Liam stared at the dark-skinned man with a mix of fear and curiosity; the blue-robed man's eyes were gleaming white as he stared back. The boy's fear started to ramp itself up as he thought _Is he another counselor?_

Ignoring the dull aching pain from his side the fledgling denied: "C-Come on. I'm not a monster, just a camper like ever-"

"Do you think me a fool vampire? I know your kind masquerading in the dark; fearful of the sun's rays..." interrupted Falion with his eyes looking annoyed.

Liam quietly pondered, _I've never had any trouble with the sun..._

The Mage strode forward with no fear present on his face; the man's right hand seemed to be curling with the same ethereal blue glow from before. Nervously Liam licked his dry lips at the sight. Even standing naught but a few feet away he could _feel _it.

The almost beautiful way the air itself seemed to bend at the energies presence, almost like the world was trying to through it out. It called to him in a way he never would have thought possible like he was meant for it. The glowing blue wisps felt like home.

"Answer me! Are you from one of the Clans? A Coven? None of your kind should be able to approach this place let alone come inside!" demanded Falion with fire in his eyes.

The boy looked over as more fear began to sprout in his heart; the glowing blue magicka in the man's hands started to change. It was slight at first with the same subtle movements nears his fingers which was followed by a chain reaction.

The blue-shifted to a fiery orange that made Liam feel his irrational fear grow, just glimpsing upon the flame made cold chills run down his spine. In its own way, the vampire's body was telling him of a weakness all undead had.

"Out with it creature!" growled Falion taking one thunderous step forward firmly grasping the now argent colored fire in his hand.

Liam's mind came back to what the voice said when he first entered the camp before he yelled back, "I-I don't know. I just came here with one of my friends; he was a Satyr...a hole. I ripped a hole through the barrier!"

Falion's heated glare sifted through Liam's features before finally coming to a decision. Apprehensively, the Mage brought down his hands and let the blazing energy fade. Something between disdain and pity came across Falion's face as he looked down at the other boy on the ground.

Fletcher was currently face down in the forest's leave-covered dirt; his bow was laying just a few feet to his right golden paint muddied by the same floor. The boy's limbs were taught against his sides, and he was not moving a single muscle.

"You still haven't answered my other questions," commented Falion as he stepped over the Archer in front of him.

Liam's eyes went wide with an inkling of the panic from before as he explained, "I'm not from either of those things. Hell, I don't even know what they are!"

The boy could definitely make a guess though; he's seen a few vampire movies before. Although- Liam involuntarily shuddered as he thought back to a _certain _vampire movie his mother made him watch. -they didn't really seem accurate. (1)

Falion's darkened face seemed to keep on its scowl before slowly melting away. All the hostility seemed to vanish as he pulled out the book strapped to his waist. Opening it with one hand Falion reached down into the folds of his robe before pulling out what looked like a home-made pencil.

The Mage's eyes took on an inquisitive look as he flipped the book to an open page titled 'Vampirism.' The pencil met the journal's paper insides as Falion started to quickly scribble away below it. Looking at it Liam could barely tell the difference between his writings and the paper behind it when compared to title. His home-made pencil wrote in a light gray that seemed to almost blend in with the tome's pages.

Another instance of the downsides of color-blind night vision.

Just as quickly the man's research journal opened it shut with a loud snap. Quickly shoving his pencil back within his robe and the book back on his side Falion ordered, "Follow me."

Liam took a second to take hold of himself before he replied "No, I don't even know who you are. Why-"

"Falion. Now, come hither." cut off the man with an annoyed expression.

A defiant look came onto Liam's face as he growled, "I said no."

Falion almost seemed to be amused before he threw his patented stoic expression back onto his visage. The Mage opened his mouth as a familiar glow appeared near his arms bubbling in the air.

"I don't think you understand vampire_. _You have no power here. Now, follow me or _burn._" said Falion speaking like he was talking about something as simple as the weather.

Liam felt the tips pf his ears burn as a quiet part of his mind told him that the man wasn't lying. The fledgling could still feel it even from here. That, that _energy_ was wrapping around the man like a blanket, like he was a conduit of it.

The man felt like a beacon of light in the bleak dark.

Looking on at the blue swirls swaying around the man Liam gulped down a glob of saliva. Trying his best to hold his emotions down Liam ground out, "Fine."

However, despite what he said Liam was not 'fine'; he was anything but. Once again the boy wasn't in control, and Liam could confidently say he hated it with a fiery passion.

-Deep within Camp Half-blood's Forest-

"Where are we going?" asked Liam for the twentieth time.

Starting to regret his earlier decision Falion groaned, "Can you say anything else? I've already told you, my lab."

_Well if I'm going to get kidnapped I might as well have fun with it. _Thought Liam with a shit-eating grin.

Keeping the same annoying grin on his face Liam questioned, "Are we there yet?"

Falion still with the same glowing eyes ignored his as they trudged through the thick woods. Falion was starting to regret bringing the little hellion along with him. Giving out a low sigh the man repeated in his mind, _I should have just left him to the camp. I should have just left him to the damn camp._

Looking over to a misshaped pile of rocks in front of them Falion thought _No, he's a means to an end. Another lead..._

In front of the pair, the forest opened up into a small clearing with what looked like a large pile of rocks in the middle of it. Liam had no real idea on what it was but most of the other campers would. To them, the landmark would be named Zeus' Fist.

"What about Fletcher?" asked Liam sounding more serious this time.

Falion stopped his fervent walk and inquired: "Who?"

"The kid, golden blonde hair with a bow to match. You turned him into a literal stick in the mud. Ringing any bells?" explained Liam while still taking in the environment around them.

The Mage started to head towards the fist as he replied, "The camper will be fine. A few hours from now he'll awaken probably thinking you are the one who knocked him unconscious."

A grimace appeared on the boy's face as they both reached the landmark. Fletcher would be back that's for sure; Liam still couldn't figure out what in the hell he had done to him to make the Archer go off like that in the first place. Liam couldn't remember talking to the boy much at all besides early that morning when Fletcher first came to wake him.

_I guess he just has a stick up his ass like Nick...although Nick never tried to kill me. _thought Liam as Falion searched around the rocks in front of them.

The Mage was pushing smaller rocks out of the way rubbing his hand along the rocks rigid surface searching for...something. Slowly Liam felt the blue energy that always seemed to coat the man forge a path down to his fingertips before a bright light flashed on the rock.

A glowing green triangle appeared on the rock before quickly fading the magicka encroaching on the man's hand faded as the rocks in front of the two shifted. A passage seemed to open up leading down into the ground below just between two of the large rocks.

Taking a single step down into the cave-like entrance Falion said, "Stay behind me."

The inside of the place was even more unexplainable.

The seven-foot-high dirt ceiling quickly switched to what looked like bricks before slowly turning into a metal structure just a few feet in front of them. Then the path split. In front of the pair, the winding cave split into two directions with one being of machines while the other going back to the Earth.

The place seemed to be in a constant state of change.

Liam could feel Falion once again send the energy out the dark before it lurched back wrapping around something large in the dirt-filled path. Falion walked forward towards the hall filled with golden machinery. For Liam the place was mesmerizing; in a way it was beautiful.

A mix of stone and bright metaled machines surrounding them spewing out warm steam or other things with no input from anything at all. Up ahead a small skittering noise could be heard, almost akin to metal grinding on metal.

"What is this place?" asked Liam still giving wide-eyes to the golden wonders surrounding them.

Falion trudged forward into what looked like a gate made of the same material before answering, "A ruin...an old Dwemer ruin." (2)

The man lightly tapped on the gate shooting magicka in its lock before the barred double doors swung open. The old metal didn't make so much as a sound as the bottom ground along the flat stone floor. Inside was Falion's 'lab' as he called it.

The rather small stone room was filled to the brim with what looked straight out of a Dnd player's wet dream.

Dead center in the middle some kind of dried white paint was laid out on the floor in a large swirling pattern. Looking down Liam could see words written all over which curved to follow the painted markings. In the middle of the array was what looked like a very large black crystal.

Near the back, there was a bubbling noise coming from a brown wooden stand with beakers and flasks galore sitting on top of it. From what Liam could see there was a free-floating flame flying right above a large blue crystal that appeared to be heating whatever was in the middle of the apparatus.

To his right was another piece of magical furniture. Laying on top of what looked like a repurposed desk made of the same golden material from outside was a pentagram made of black iron. Drawn within it was a star with some strange symbols and the letter 'O' glowing a deep blue near the bottom.

From the back of his mind, the voice commented, **Oblivion.**

The only other piece of real furniture was a large stone bed next to a few bookshelves filled to the brim with a mix of rolled up pieces of paper and large tomes. Falion quickly walked over to the bubbling mixture atop the lit crystal before pulling it off.

The black bubbling substance pulled away from its heat ceased to boil. The Mage turned the beaker swirling at as he did. Inside the blackened liquid started to crystallize letting off a sound akin to breaking glass as Falion grumbled "Another failure." and put the beaker back in its place.

Liam's eyes were absentmindedly drawn to the bookshelf; a small purple book was sticking out from the ones surrounding it. The dark purple seemed to appeal to the boy in a way he didn't truly understand. Quietly Liam stalked towards the shelf. Giving a small glance over towards Falion the boy pulled it from its place.

Trying his best to not make a noise Liam shoved it down inside his back pocket. He was doing the Hermes Cabin proud.

"Who said you can touch my things?" asked the Mage as he pulled an empty vial from the table where he stood.

Maybe not _too_ proud though...

Liam guiltily removed his hand from his back before he replied, "I-I didn't touch anything; I was just looking."

Giving Liam an unbelieving look Falion said, "By Ruptga's name you're a bad liar...You know what? Keep it." (3)

The fledgling dumbly nodded before the man continued by saying, "Think of it as a gift because of my previous-" He let out an awkward cough. "-behavior. I'm not so used to your kind being as...amiable."

Pulling out the small dagger from his belt Falion ordered, "Come here."

Liam obeyed as he approached the station keeping a keen eye on the weapon in the Mage's hand. Not that Falion would need something as mundane as a dagger to kill him. The fledgling felt another shiver at the feeling of the Mage.

The thick cloak of magicka was wafting all throughout the room; Liam could feel the intangible substance rolling all over his body. The ethereal power was something that he should have; it was his right to have it. A burning prickle came from the boy's throat as Falion thrust the tiny vial in front of him.

"Here, fill it." prompted the man shoving both the vial and his iron dagger into Liam's hands.

Liam looked down at the minuscule flask then asked, "With what?"

"What else? Your blood." answered the man looking at Liam like he was stupid.

The other occupant of the room gave Falion a wary glance before questioning, "Why in the hell would you want that?"

Falion's eyes seemed to drift off for a second as he thought of a reply. With an almost haunted look, the man explained, "I want to correct a mistake."

"A mistake? That still doesn't explain crap. Why in the hell should I help you?" scoffed the vampire while angrily staring at the Mage.

Like everything else that's happened recently; it just didn't make sense to Liam. First, it was Sam, then Chiron, and now Falion. Not a single person was willing to just outright say what they mean, and it was starting to get to the boy.

"Just tell me what's going on already! I'm tired of every fucking person I talk to answering with the same vague nonsense or just pushing it off!" exploded Liam forgetting how the Mage held the boy's life in his hands.

Falion's eyes widened a bit at the yelling before he finally caved. It was better than the alternative at least; the Mage wasn't going to have another life on his hands. Not unless he absolutely had to.

"I was younger, stupid. I-I got someone important hurt..._really _hurt, and I need to fix it. A vampire's blood is said to have regenerative properties. That's what I was out in the camp for in the first place, searching for flora with the same effects." stammered the man doing his best to keep a swath of guilty emotion present on his face.

The Mage's eyes narrowed as he looked on at the boy's own; it was surprising at how much you can learn through the subtle movements one makes there. He could see it; the emotional ploy worked. The vampire slowly brought the pointed blade towards his finger then lightly bit his lip.

Falion was practiced in this craft, lying. He could still remember the first time he had to learn it, back in his home town after he first became interested in his magic. Like always he left a little bit of truth in the lie, a little flavoring to make the 'dish' more palatable.

Letting out a low hiss Liam sliced open his finger and squeezed it. Pushing a few drops of his cooled blood into the vial.

A smile came onto the Mage's face as he thought _That's another ingredient down. Pure Blood freely given. Let's hope what the tentacle-faced bastard said was true._

Letting go of his thumb, Liam handed the vial back over to the Mage. Falion grasped the tiny flask with an almost religious reverence. Carefully the man stalked back over to his lab before putting it within a small holder.

Liam stared on as the man continued to fumble about within his lab haphazardly checking the myriad of different colored containers on his desk completely ignoring the boy. Curiously the fledgling looked back over and asked, "What now?"

"What now? Now, you leave me and my workshop well alone. Follow the path back and go to your little camp fledgling. Tell them what you've seen here, and you'll regret it. I promise." badgered the man keeping his eyes level to a long cylindrical flask in front of him.

Liam said, "That's it?" with a disbelieving look plastered onto his face.

Falion ignored him once again this time pulling out his notebook before carefully studying the blood Liam gave. The fledgling could feel him pushing and prodding at the substance with his magicka. Although for some reason it seemed as soon as the Mage's own power touched the ruby liquid, it disappeared.

Deciding to take the anticlimactic end as a boon Liam hurriedly left the room with the golden doors slamming shut behind him.

Slowly Falion pulled himself away from his lab and turned towards the painted array in the middle of the room. The face of his little girl flashed in his mind. Slowly walking towards the black soul gem in the center of the ritual chamber he swore, "One day I'll get you back, no matter what...I swear it."

The purplish-black gem sitting in the middle of the array seemed to glow a bit before fading.

Falion turned back towards his lab with a fervent gleam in his eyes. Slowly pulling out another black book off his shelves the man repeated, "No matter what."

-The Surface near Zeus' Fist-

As Liam ran back through the tunnel and out onto the surface he thought of what had just happened. There was something wrong with that man; his presence alone felt controlling in a way that was far too unsettling. Squinting Liam kept up a fast pace as he pulled out of the clearing and into the Camp's woods.

Falion's very being made the boy uncomfortable, as their conversion came to end it just became worse and worse. It was the exact opposite of the magicka that surrounded him like a cloak.

That was besides how the man's mood seemed to change every few seconds; it swung about like a pendulum, one second he was nice then the next the man was filled with anger. Then the look in his eye as Liam handed him the vial; it went from curiously eyeing him to staring him down like Liam was a piece of meat. To the boy, it was almost as confusing as the book in his back pocket.

_He could have killed me. _Thought Liam stopping next to a tree to catch his breath.

The boy's brown eyes flashed red as he growled, "I could have died! All for a stupid book."

Liam couldn't explain it. Whenever the fledgling felt that...that _energy_ it was like a part of him called out for it, wanted it. Stupidly he decided to steal from the Mage that seemed all too happy to throw around fireballs at a moment's notice.

In the distance, Liam could see bright lights coming from a ring of buildings. By the looks of things, it seems the boy missed dinner. All around the camp, it appeared that everyone was turning in for the night.

Liam stalked forward heading towards the Hermes cabin thinking, _Here's hoping they didn't notice I was gone._

The boy was never that lucky.

Liam tried his best to tiptoe his way up the creaky wooden stairs the led to the Caduceus covered door on the wall in front of him. Inside he could hear talking; it came to an end as the old boards below him let out a telltale squeak.

The door burst open revealing one Luke Castellan features marred by a scowl who growled, "Where have you been?"

Liam tried to think up an excuse but to be honest his creative thinking was just about all tuckered out from the night. A deadpan expression came across the boy's face as he explained, "Went on a walk, got into a fight, went into a secret cave of doom, can I go sleep now?"

Luke's own showed a little surprise before he chided, "Just don't do it again. If you don't show up to dinner roll call the whole cabin has to run laps in the arena. I-" Luke's eyes trailed down the side of the cabin before the widened in much-deserved anger.

"Don't think I can't see you Connor! I'm not chasing you two around camp again. Get your ass back in here or by the gods you'll regret it!" yelled the scarred Counselor glaring at a window that had a single leg peeking through.

One of the twins pulled his appendage back in before a nervous laugh could be heard from inside. A teen with black, shaggy hair stuck his head out the window before saying, "Come on, no harm no foul right?"

Castellan turned his glare away as he replied, "For the love of all things holy just give me one night, One fucking night where I don't have to deal with your guy's antics..."

The twin pulled himself fully back inside before cheekily mumbling, "Fine..."

"So can I come in or...?" Liam prodded taking a step towards the opened door.

Luke's eyes switched from the window towards the direction of the fledgling before he said, "Sure just make sure to make it to roll call next time...and if you do sneak out, don't get caught. Light's out at twelve."

The scarred Counselor turned his back to Liam and walked inside the cabin leaving the door open behind him. Liam quickly followed after closing the rickety wooden door with a small click.

Once inside the two boys went their separate ways. Luke retreated into where most of the rest of the cabin resided, a fairly large lounge area with a couple of sofas and chairs spread throughout. Meanwhile, Liam went back to where most of the beds were.

The fledgling gave a wary glance over his shoulder to make sure no one else was nearby before approaching his bed.

When he first arrived Luke made a suggestion to the newest member of the cabin of thieves. He should take some time to hide his stuff. Now Liam didn't really have much to hide in the first place but despite that, he tried his best.

Liam ended up finding something under his bed that would work perfectly for the occasion.

Just underneath his bed frame and mattress was a wooden plank floor. Having been already loosened due to years of misuse all Liam had to do to uproot one of them was apply a little pressure.

One of the long wooden boards underneath his bed popped up revealing the soft ground below. The boy decided to keep his backpack down there along with just about everything he owned inside of it. Not that he really had much besides his pocket knife and book.

Well, two books now.

As quickly and quietly as he could, Liam leaned down near the foot of his bed and popped the board out of place. Down below the fledgling could see the abundant color fade to gray in the darkness below to reveal his book-bag, hopefully untouched.

Reaching his arm down, Liam grabbed the bag by one of its long blue straps.

A small creak came from one of the nearby beds; Liam's ears twitched before he quickly gave a long glance around the room. After a quick scan, the boy ultimately saw no one so he popped the board back into place then sat down on his bed.

Just down the hall and through two doors the more rowdy members of Hermes cabin continued on messing with each other and playing games. A single deck of well-worn cards was passed around like the holy grail with each group taking turns to play. Luke was sitting in the rooms only recliner, a silent opposite to the cabin's chaos.

Slowly Liam stuck his hands into his back pocket to pull out the tome that he 'stole.'

A black purple cover came out with the same letter printed on the front. Liam's eyes narrowed as he stared at it; who would title their book a letter?

His anticipation building the boy flipped open the book in the hopes of something good.

It opened to reveal a wall of blackened text, on what looked like ancient papyrus. Liam's eyes traveled down the page as he read, _Runic Translation of A Novice's Guide to Conjuration._

The anticipation building continued to grow to that almost akin to nervousness. Liam actually had a chance to learn some magic. The skitter-like feeling traveled all the way up from his stomach while the boy proceeded to read.

_First off let me preface this by plainly stating my intentions with this book. Some of you may know me as the apprentice of the great Morian Zenas, this is true. I've never publicly spoken of my true name, not yet at least. In your language, I would be called Seif-ij Hidja. (4)_

Liam quietly looked down at the page before whispering, "Sei...Seif-...you know what? Hidja's good enough. God, your name is hard to pronounce."

_I am a master of conjuration in my own right. Now let us go back to the reason I'm penning this work in the first place._

_I am dying._

_I dedicate this tome to the greatest work I've ever created. My daughter. One day she will want to learn my craft and I'll have no one but the best teach her. Even if she has to do it without...me._

The boy gulped down a glob of saliva then flipped to the next page. Unbeknownst to him in a bed behind him, someone was watching with great interest.

_To truly understand conjuration you must first truly accept what magic itself is. Each and every race, person, or thing have their own ways of thinking about magic but there is one way they are similar. Each and every practitioner seeks to bend the laws of the world around them to their will._

_Think about it, truly think._

_A mage's greatest spell is no different from the ones they learned as a novice. The only true change is in their application of it. Most races innately have the aptitude to make fire by hand. Whether it be rubbing two sticks together or something else less mundane. That fire is nothing but an exchange of heat, caused by breaking down the residual energy stored within an object._

_If one were to try and use magic to do the same with magic it would kick start that exchange making fire by using magicka as that fuel. _

_Each different school takes this simple idea in their own direction. _

Sitting directly behind Liam was a rather young girl with dark brown hair kicking her legs back and forth off her bed. She had been quietly watching the boy in front of her for almost five minutes now as he stared at his little book.

A small frown came onto her face as she thought _I wonder what those symbols mean?_

_The school of conjuration seeks to use this principle in an entirely different way than the rest. We seek to control a different energy than Magnus' gift. All those who practice the art of conjuration seek to control a part of Oblivion._

_Many years before my time an agreement was met. Any who were granted Magnus' gift could siphon it to the realm, in exchange the practitioner would gain access to a litany of abilities from the plane. They could use any number of summons, spells, and even necromancy if they wished. _

_All the Mage would need is great enough willpower to control the energy they receive in the exchange._

Slowly Liam thought back to the only other book he had in his possession, scribbled on by a mad man seeking immortality through the Princes. Oblivion, it was one word mentioned frequently but never truly explained other than it being another 'realm.'

From behind him, Liam heard a loud wooden creak before a female voice asked, "Whatcha do-in?"

**AN: **I gotta say this chapter has been one of my favorite ones to write so far. There's not as much action as I usually try to include but there are so many different references and new things for you, the readers, to explore when it comes to my story.

Overall I'm not going to comment on it as besides what I chose as the annotations/citations because I'm a bit too excited for this stuff. I have a feeling I might let something slip that I shouldn't. Other than that tell me what you guys think of my interpretations of certain stuff.

There are going to be certain parts of people's backstories that I'm changing slightly to better fit with what I need them to do in the story. So be a little forewarned. It's not going to change their entire characters but for a select few it is significant. Tell me what you guys thought in a review/comment and I'll be sure to respond.

Let's move onto the annotations/citations

(1) I don't really know what to say with this one. Western media has really ruined vampires for a lot of people. When I was younger I tried to watch twilight as my mother mentioned it was based on a vampire book and I thought it would be cool...I was sorely mistaken.

(2) This place is what you think it is. I have an explanation for it written down but for a while yet I'm going to leave it alone due to it being...important later on. If you know what I'm talking about great if not look up PJO labyrinth.

(3) Ruptga is one of the gods from the Yokudan pantheon in the Elder Scrolls series. Primarily worshiped in Volenfell and around that area. He is the chief god of that pantheon.

(4) Seif-ij Hidja was the writer of the Book Doors of Oblivion. I liked his backstory and added onto it some with my version of it when writing the book near the end of this chapter.

Alright, that's all of the annotations/citations I'm going to do. To be honest, in this chapter there are a crap ton of them. I'd probably have around 10-15 annotations if I listed them all so I'm limiting myself to four max on these things. Props to you if you know your lore well enough to get them or if they're about pop culture that too.

Well, I'm going to stop rambling. Tell me what you guys think and if you have any cool ideas let me know and I'll tell you if they're viable. See you next time!

~ciao


	11. A Fight at Breakfast

**Edit: ***Bashes head onto keyboard* Why is it that I always miss stupid mistakes? I really need to get a beta so if anyone is interested DM me. I fixed a few minor grammar/spelling errors.

**AN: **How you all doing? I've recently gotten back into playing Rimworld again. You should check it out if you have some time; it's pretty fun. Also, I just found an actual schedule for the camp on the PJO wiki after already making my own. :( I'm gonna stick with mine but it would have been nice to know beforehand.

No guest reviews today so let's just jump into it!

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line skip-

A Fight at Breakfast

Liam's eyes traveled over his shoulder to come across a young girl with braided brown hair draped around her shoulders. The girl was staring at him from behind with a curious look on her face.

The boy looked on in surprise as she prattled, "I said what're you doing?"

"I'm reading a book, and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me do it in peace," replied Liam quickly pulling the purple tome in his hands away from her view.

The girl didn't seem perturbed as she commented, "That's mean...Hey, how can you read that?"

A little bit of doubt showed itself on the boy's face as he gave a look to the other camper. Slowly a memory came back to him, the original symbols he saw that quickly shifted to English as he looked at them right after he first woke up in that park.

An idea came to mind as Liam lied, "I...I can't; I'm trying to figure out how. Like I said earlier I'd like it if you left me to it."

A small smile came onto the camper's face as she beamed, "Ooh! I know who can help, go to the Athena cabin they always know what to do with books."

_Why won't she just take the hint? _Thought the fledgling with an annoyed expression still holding the purple book tight in his hands.

Throughout the entire conversation, Liam had been trying to get her to leave him alone while still trying to be civil. The bright camper just wouldn't let him be. That and with every word she said the girl just seemed to be getting closer and closer; it made him uncomfortable.

"Hey, my name's Holly. What's yours?" inquired the girl now almost leaning onto the bed where Liam sat.

Liam started to open his mouth with another snarky reply before a feminine voice called out, "Holly can't you see you're bothering him? Leave him alone!"

Searching for the source of the sound the only boy in the room turned to his right to see another girl who looked quite similar to the one leaning off of his bedpost. She had almost the same exact appearance except for one thing; the girl seemed to not be as smile-filled as her little sister.

"Laurel don't be such a party-pooper! I was just gonna invite him to come into the rec-room with us," yelled Holly indignantly staring at her sister.

Laurel looked over still scowling as she sassed, "Oh, don't even start with that crap. You always do stuff like this; you're always so pushy."

What was left of the conversation started to devolve as the younger sister, Holly, said: "I am not!"

Her sister walked over and grabbed her by the arm before pulling Holly away. The younger girl didn't resist as the two trudged along back out towards the Cabin's living room quiet mutterings come from the both of them the whole way there.

The entire time Liam continued to stare at their antics; it seemed that every single person he met in the camp was weird. Putting a finger up to his lip the boy thought _Come to think of it, I don't think there has been a single normal person in this camp...well, besides Luke maybe._

Slowly pulling out the purple tome from his hand Liam gave the room's only exit a hardened stare. The sound of ruffling pages scratched through the place as the boy flipped back to the page he was on. Bringing his eyes back down onto the printed words he started to read.

-Camp's Mess Hall the Next Morning-

The rest of that night for Liam was one spent reading into his newly acquired book. Over and over again he thought about quitting or taking a break from his studying of the damned thing but memories of the ethereal energy alone were enough to motivate him.

It called out to him in a primal way, like his very _being _wanted it. Not that Liam would have any true success.

For the last two hours before twelve, Liam decided to actually try what he read in the book. Over and over again he tried to feel the magicka as it was described to ultimately gain nothing. Unlike what he was hoping there was no sudden power gain, no sudden epiphany, no nothing at all.

The book described the feeling of drawing in power through the air into yourself but Liam couldn't get it. The fledgling didn't _feel _anything around him like what stuck to Falion like a cloak. It was empty, dark.

In the end, Liam got stuck on the first step given by A Novice's Guide to Conjuration only becoming more and more frustrated as the night went on. After feeling around for what felt like hours time seemed to quickly slip by before the call of "Light's out!" was heard from the rec-room.

The next morning Luke quickly rounded up all the campers in the cabin before ushering them out towards the dining pavilion at the ass crack of dawn. Letting out a long yawn Liam thought _Screw this crap, it's too early._

The boy's eyes lazily traveled over the building stopping at certain points to see stragglers from other cabins walking about. The tiredness appeared to flee from Liam's face as he came across a familiar bow-wielding douche.

Coming past one of the Mess Hall's many marble pillars was Fletcher Yew looking no worse for wear other than a couple of scratches on his face. Slowly the Archer's eyes searched through the crowd of other campers before landing on the Hermes table.

Liam took in a hitched breath as Fletcher gave the boy a twitching smile filled with barely restrained malice.

The Archer shoved down his emotions before making his way over to the rest of the Apollo Cabin. As he reached it Liam heard one of the bunch ask, "Hey Fletch, where were you last night...wait is that mud in your hair?"

The teenager gave one final smoldering glare back at Liam before he growled, "...nowhere."

Apollo's other son appeared to think better of something as he chatted, "Ya sure, whatever you say man. Just don't come crying to me when we get stuck with stable duty again."

A small grimace came onto Fletcher's face before he quickly sat down in one of the Apollo table's empty spots.

"What's got you spooked?" questioned a mischievous twin with a large piece of bread in his hand.

Liam turned back towards his table before replying, "Ah...nothing much, thought I saw something."

Connor Stoll cut out a large chunk of his bread with his teeth before jesting, "Must be something then ghost boy." (1)

Around the table talking started up once again as Liam turned back to the food in front of him. Sitting atop the same silver platters from before was a generous mountain of bread and assorted cheeses. Liam grabbed a piece of it and popped it in his mouth.

A couple of seats down a rather tall demi-god called out, "No it's true I saw him go up into the attic!"

Liam looked over to see Chris Rodriguez with both of his hands outstretched talking to another one of the Hermes cabin. A little spaced on the name Liam thought _What was it again? C-C something?_

The other boy, known to most as Cecil, was sitting across from Chris with his arms crossed and a disbelieving look on his face. Scrunching up one of his eyebrows the camper said, "No way in Hades. He's too young."

The other hispanic looking boy pled, "Dood you gotta believe me; I was there. He even had Chiron with him and everything; I'm betting on a quest."

_Quest? _Pondered Liam taking a sip of his water.

Meanwhile, the Hermes cabin counselor watched on with great interest. Luke's face showed a small amount of worry at what Chris spewed before it quickly steeled over showing no emotion whatsoever. If Liam were to see it, the expression would seem almost unnatural on the scarred counselor's face. The look was a long cry from his usual cheerful demeanor.

Just a short distance away sat Chiron whose entire appearance seemed to be heavier than usual. Unlike the day prior he seemed to look like someone had put one hundred pound weights on either of his shoulders while he gave worrying glances at the entrance of the camp every few seconds.

Down the table Mr. D looked like the exact polar opposite; the man sat down in his luxurious chair happily eating away it the meal in front of him without a single worry present on his face. Slowly the recovering alcoholic turned towards the centaur to his left.

"You know, you'll have to tell them." commented the portly man with an almost amused expression on his face.

The Teacher of Heroes looked away from the camp's borders before replying, "And then what, cause a panic?"

Mr. D's look seemed to grow as he said, "Well that sounds like your problem, not mine."

Used to the treatment the Centaur didn't respond. He slowly looked around at the twelve tables in front of him before his eyes landed on the three empty ones near the front. Steeling himself the Activities Director did his best to hide his concern behind a mask.

Stomping on the ground with one hoof Chiron yelled out, "Quiet!"

All across the Mess Hall voices turned into hushed whispers as all eyes in the room locked onto the old Centaur. Popping a grape into his mouth Dionysus encouraged, "Well go on then! I don't have all day,"

Chiron suppressed what to most would be righteous anger as he turned around to address the camp.

"As I'm sure you may have heard, a prophecy has been issued." boomed the Centaur while staring at the distinctive center of the room.

The quiet whispering gained in volume for a second consisting mainly of words or phrases similar to, "Who?" and "A new quest!" depending on which table they came from.

The Teacher of Heroes brought up a single hand silencing the crowd once again before bellowing, "I am not allowed to tell you the specifics but three of your own left late last night on a journey from which they may not return."

Almost immediately a few distinct groans were heard from the Ares cabin as a leather toting teenager groaned, "Already! I wanted a chance..."

"Yes, Yes. Peter, Anabel, and Gregory have gone to die horrible painful deaths, get on with it already." called out Mr. D from behind the speech giver in an obnoxious tone.

Once again Chiron seemed to show his age before quickly squashing the worry down into his stomach. The Centaur's eyes gave a glance at the table with decorative shells carved into it before he monotoned, "As Mr. D has helpfully pointed out Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood were the three chosen for this endeavor."

A few soft murmurs traveled through the crowd, as well as some hateful glares, at the names but Chiron didn't have to reel them back in again. Across the room, Liam noticed most tables were having very different reactions.

A few of them were indifferent to the news. Those few were mostly made up of the Aphrodite and Demeter cabins who became fairly disinterested after they learned that the quest didn't affect any of their members which was quickly followed by their conversation turning back towards boys and agriculture respectively.

Athena's cabin was the most talkative with its gray-eyed members quietly arguing amongst themselves about what the quest could be about. Their conversation was slowly being pushed towards the closing of Olympus a few days prior.

The majority of the other campers were steering their conversations much like a high school lunchroom more worried about the drama than what was actually going on. Liam's table was included in this except for one.

Luke Castellan absentmindedly stared at Chiron as he stepped back towards the staff table. The scarred counselor anxiously scratched at the table before gritting his teeth. Looking up from the Hermes table with a defiant look on his face Luke thought _What's done is done._

Liam himself really didn't know what to think.

After coming to Camp Half-blood it was just one thing after another in a long line of more and more outlandish events. It seemed like this was just setting up to be the next one. All this one would need is a reason to involve him and it would fit in just fine. A 'quest' didn't really seem too interesting when compared with what he's already seen.

Just as the noise within the dining pavilion began to bring itself back up to its usual level of talking someone ran inside like hell was at his back.

"Monster! Monster in the camp...thought you ought to know." exclaimed Sam Greenwood before collapsing to the cold ground below. (2)

To all that were listening in the distance, they could hear loud thunderous footsteps followed by what most would think was the neighing of a horse.

-Near the Camp's Lake-

After leaving Liam on his first night back at camp Sam really did sleep until it was dark again. The satyr ended up walking out into the camp near a glade before promptly passing out in a pile of leaves.

It was a hell of a lot better than his apartment at least.

Nearly ten hours later Sam's ears picked up on the chirping of birds and the last remnants of morning dew which settled onto his back as he slept. Feeling refreshed the Satyr decided to roam the camp for a bit and get something to sate his rising appetite, which led Sam on a journey towards the strawberry fields and ultimately to the camp's lake after getting a quick bite to eat.

Slowly, Sam trudged up the crystal clear body of water in front of him; it still looked as fresh and inviting as the last time he had been there. A small smile came onto the boy's face as he thought back to some of the inhabitants of the lake.

Like the rest of Camp Half-blood, the lake was filled to the brim seemingly teeming with nature spirits. Although they don't all necessarily stay in the body of water for too long. Lightly scratching his head the Satyr approached hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the water's mysterious beauties.

All around the lake's ridge, the chirping birds stopped as he walked up to the lake. There was no sound other than the slow drawn-out breaths coming from his mouth. Not noticing a single thing, Sam leaned over the lake's edge and peered into its depths.

Down below the boy could see a whole swath of life, of nature in action.

Algae and other plant-stuffs floated around the lake being fed on by those at the bottom of the ecosystem. Feeding on the algae and other things that floated near the bottom were small crustaceans, crawdads dyed red or blue. Small schools of bluegill swam buy voraciously protecting the mounds which marked their nests from anything that would dare draw near. It was one of the small hives of nature present all throughout Camp Half-blood.

_I'm home. _happily thought Sam as he continued to look around the lake.

The Satyr's eyes were drawn to search for what he originally came for. Scanning the environment for any of the elusive enchantresses, Sam came across something quite odd.

Floating just on the lake's surface was a worn, wooden bucket.

Not thinking much of it the boy walked around the lake's edge approaching the spot at which it was hitched. The tool was floating just near the pond's beach turned upside down. Below it was the deepest part of the body of water, where the water became murky enough for one not to be able to see through it.

Taking in another deep breath of the clean air, Sam gave a quick look around to see if whoever left the tool was still there. The Naiads, or just any of the nature spirits really, didn't take kindly to litter in their homes.

_Just where are they anyway? I haven't seen a single one since I came here..._ wondered Sam bringing his eyes down towards his feet.

His blue eyes widened at the sight below him.

The green blades of grass near the lake's edge were trampled thin with what looked like chunks of fresh meat splattered with blood just below the grass's thick bush. A set of hoof-like prints, much like his own, led to the lake before suddenly disappearing in the blood-stained spot.

Slack-jawed the Satyr felt his heart slowly start to quicken its beats.

From behind him, a low snort was heard along with the sounds of rushing water. Widely opening his eyes Sam turned back towards the noise with terror present on his face.

Pulling itself from the depths was the largest monster the boy had ever had the misfortune to set his eyes on. Coming first was the black-skinned head shaped much like a horse but with far too many bone-like appendages jutting from its mouth and head.

"N-No, those things must be as long as one of my arms..." quavered Sam as he took a step away from the creature.

Slowly, the beast wretched one of its large limbs from the water laying it upon the muddied beach in front of it. Five-inch-long claws ripped through the wet dirt cutting away at the land like a hot knife through butter. A gravelly roar rumbled through from the horse-like monster's throat as it pulled itself free from the lake's grasp.

With his heart hammering away in his chest Sam turned away and quickly fled with his goat-like feet impacting the dirt below with reckless abandon.

After getting a good ten-second head start the Satyr heard _it._

Thump.

**Thump**.

**THUMP.**

Panicked, Sam took a quick peek over his shoulder at the noise.

Not but twenty feet behind him the beast was chasing after its prey drudging its long claws through the dirt. Behind it, the thing left behind a trail of upturned earth clearly marking out long tracks with wide cuts made by each of the three claws at the end of its legs.

The monster's head was turned parallel with the Earth, bringing three-pronged fury to all who would dare be in its path. Sam's eyes turned back to the front.

The boy's eyes nervously looked ahead as he passed by the cabins like hellfire was at his back. Up ahead the Mess Hall came into view with the telltale sign of marble and rising smoke coming from the building's roof.

"Not-" *huff* "-gonna-" *huff* "-make it!" panted Sam as the sound of pounding crept ever closer behind him.

In the pavilion in front of him, he could see most if not all of the campers assembled at their different tables with Chiron standing in the middle of the room next to the building's brazier. The Centaur's eyes looked on in surprise as Sam ran into the middle of the room diving forward.

Just before the Satyr landed he yelled out, "Monster! Monster in the camp...thought you ought to know." collapsing to the cold ground below.

All around the room shock quickly turned to action as a mountain of a monster barreled between two of the pillars holding the Mess Hall's roof afloat. All the eyes in the room were pulled to the creature as Chiron exclaimed, "Scatter!"

It seemed that the order did not come fast enough as the creature barreled through the table nearest it with all the members still struggling to react. The sound of wood breaking mixed with screams as members of the Aphrodite cabin were thrown through the air at the elephant-sized monster's charge.

Luke reacting quicker than most drew the blade he kept at his hip before pulling away from the table at which he sat. Following soon after, the rest of the Hermes cabin followed suit with their members backing away and drawing their arms.

An ear-blasting roar echoed about as the beast angrily stomped on the stone beneath its feet ripping tears through the concrete below. It's beady eyes narrowed as all around demi-gods fled from its might.

"What in the Hades is that thing!" screeched a girl from the ground just a few feet away from the monster.

One of Athena's children seemed to have the answer as the girl's stormy eyes narrowed at its head before muttering, "Odontotyrrannus...A Tooth Tyrant." (3)

Liam looked over at Sam in horror. The Tooth Tyrant was almost on top of him now as it continued to angrily display its might stomping about at those nearby. Not thinking much about himself Liam ran forward hoping to get his friend out of the way.

The beast let out a snort at the sight of one of the man-kin approaching it. With deliberate slowness, it lowered its head towards the floor pointing all three of the longhorns on its head towards Liam's chest. The Tyrant's back foot threateningly drummed against the ground while its muscles bulged with silent strength.

The fledgling's eyes nervously looked between the beast and Sam on the floor before he just enough time to say, "Oh, fuck."

Leaving its previous prey unslaughtered the Tyrant put its entire body behind a single charge hoping to gore the one who dared to approach it. The ground underneath its feet cracked even further as the beast bounded forward bringing death in its wake.

_Move Liam! _Screamed the boy in his mind as he dived to the side.

The Tooth Tyrant shot past at the speed of a car smashing through the Hermes table and a few unlucky campers in its path. The sound of squelching flesh became apparent in everyone's ears as a girl let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Liam's eyes darted behind him from the ground to see the source of the noise.

The two chocolate brown orbs widened in shock as Liam came to see what the creature had on its head. Raised high up into the air was one of his own cabin mates with three large horns sticking throughout her body, red blood leaked like a fountain dripping along the Tyrant's face and neck. Her neck was bulging as she lightly grasped the top horn that pierced through it. Slowly the girl's panicked eyes drooped towards the ground.

The last thing Laurel Victor would see was her sister's face stricken in horror as it was splashed with her own blood.

As quickly as the beast speared the girl through it threw her away flinging its head to the side sending the camper's mutilated body with it, landing near the bonfire with a loud crunch. Steam came from the Tyrant's nostrils as it turned back around with another growl.

Across the pavilion, Chiron's eyes seemed to dim as he looked at a dead camper sprawled across the ground before he quickly steeled himself. Grasping the bow off his back and taking aim the Centaur ordered, "Archers, form a line! Those within melee range pull away and regroup."

Hurried footsteps followed his words as almost the entire Apollo cabin split up into to form a semi-circle around the beast, drawing their weapons. Soon after a gratuitous amount of whistling noises cut through the air as the archers opened fire. A majority of the arrows struck true sinking their bronze retribution into the beast.

Liam stumbled a bit as he pulled himself up heading towards Sam as quickly as he could.

Closer to the Tyrant, different cabins seemed to form cohesive units as a select few pulled away but the others drew their groups thin hoping to distract the beast. A glorious symphony of metal being pulled from sheathes was heard as they continued to form up.

Sam continued to crawl away breathing heavily all the while. He seemed to be struggling to do as much as stand. Sam would limply push himself up only for his body to crumble under its own weight, falling on his left leg. Liam's eyes were drawn down towards the leg as he came across another splash of red.

Mixing in with the shaggy brown that made up his friend's legs was the distinct pinkish wood of the Aphrodite cabin's table pushed through his thigh. Adrenaline seemed to keep Liam up and moving as he rushed forward gripping Sam by his shoulder roughly pulling the boy to his feet.

Behind the two the battle still raged as the Tyrant continued to try and maw those around with its claws and teeth. The beast did not seem the least bit perturbed to the hundreds of celestial bronze arrows stuck all throughout its hide.

The more melee-oriented cabins were engaging the beast on foot with the Ares cabin leading the charge in a blood-crazed frenzy. Along the creature's legs, small shallow cuts began to build up leaking gold sand across the Mess Hall. One Ares camper in particular seemed to be leading the charge.

Standing directly in front of the Tyrant with a large manic smile on her face was Clarisse La Rue.

She had on the camp's usual orange while over it was a green jacket with its sleeves cut off. Her bandana from before was gone mixed in somewhere with the rubble while her head was bleeding from a small cut near her temple.

"Nothings working, the hide's too thick!" called out a doubtful daughter of Hephaestus as she pulled another incapacitated camper away from the fight.

The Hermes cabin appeared to have the younger members evacuate while the older ones, Luke and Cecil, continued to fight flying around the beast in a great show of their dexterity. Luke's gladius was darting in and out of the fray cutting along the beast's thick hide leaving shallow lacerations near its legs.

Meanwhile, the Tyrant seemed to become more and more annoyed at the pesky demi-gods around it biting at it like ants. Every time the creature tried to go for a kill one of the other campers would come in to save the other. The Odontotyrrannus let out an annoyed huff through its horse-like nostrils.

"Keep looking there has to be a weak spot somewhere!" commanded Clarisse as she dove in once again with her spear piercing into the Tyrants skin before pulling it back out.

Near the archer's, cabin six were voraciously talking amongst themselves while some yelled out commands reordering the other campers into more opportune positions. Whenever one of the gray-eyed teenagers saw someone about to collapse they would pull them away allowing another to take their place.

All in all the defense was rather solid for such a disadvantageous fight.

The Tyrant let out another roar before pulling its head down once again. Almost immediately Luke yelled out, "Watch out, it's about to charge again!"

The beast's head came level to the ground pointing its horns towards the bonfire still burning brightly in the center of the room. One camper in particular, Malcolm Pace, remembered something from this monster's legend that none of the others did.

"Fire! Kill it with fire, burn the beast." exclaimed the stormy-eyed boy pointing over to the brazier in the middle of the room.

Luke's eyes narrowed at the boy's words before he begrudgingly moved towards the camp's bonfire with steel in his eyes. Before the Tyrant could charge he yelled out, "Hey ugly, over here!"

The elephant-sized monster brought its beady, black eyes to face the noise locking onto the orange-shirted man-kin in front of it. The Tooth Tyrant stomped it's back right leg before charging once more, blowing away all in its path.

Luckily for the scarred counselor, he didn't intend to be in it, not for very long at least.

Standing a short distance away from the beast directly in front of the camp's bonfire, Luke leaned down towards the ground preparing to jump. In his head, he thought _Alright, I got one chance for this._

The teenager's eyes went back towards the beast in front of it as he counted out loud, "One...two...three!" before leaping to the left.

The Tooth Tyrant's eyes went wide as the fire was revealed before just as the man-kin jumped out of the way. If one were to be watching they would see a semblance of fear show through those eyes as the beast hurriedly tried to stop its assault.

The beast's momentum couldn't end itself quick enough as the Tyrant slammed into the large brazier knocking itself and the fire to the ground with a metallic clang. All around the room eyes shot towards the creature as a deep screech of pure pain hit their eardrums.

As soon as the low-burning orange flames licked the beast's slime-covered hide it took to the fuel like a fish to water. Fire surged all over the brute as it let out long horse-like whines of pain and started to spasm on the floor. The smell of burning meat wafted through the Mess Hall.

"Get back!" demanded Chiron as the monster continued to flail about sending anything close enough to it flying.

The low screams slowly began to fade as the seconds passed by before the spasms began to die down as well. Slowly the monster's last veneer of life faded as the now charred creature began to crumble into blackened sand.

Just on the sidelines of the fight, Liam let out a sigh of relief as he pulled Sam up onto a table and leaned him against it, trying to keep pressure off his wound. The Satyr seemed to be getting pale and his eyes were rapidly blinking not focusing on the world around him.

"H-Hey...I need some help over here!" exclaimed Liam as he looked down to the blood-covered wound on Sam's inner thigh.

**AN: **Well then...I bet that was an interesting chapter for you all. We've had our first human death (If you don't count the unnamed businessman from the first chapter and Liam...technically) and the fight with the monster I introduced a couple of chapters ago. I hope it lived up to you guys' expectations, cause it was sure as hell was fun to write. Also, tell me if any of you guys have any ideas on a cool monster or just enemies that I could include that aren't human as they are going to take a large part in this story. If there something I haven't really seen much I might put them in. Well moving on...

Citations/Annotations below

(1) This line is Connor referencing how Liam saw Hestia and thought she was a ghost, hence the name Ghost boy.

(2) This line is a reference to the first Harry Potter book in which Quirrell says almost this exact same line with Troll used instead of Monster. It's one that always stuck with me after I first read the books when I was young.

(3) The Odontotyrrannus was a monster that was said to attack Alexander the Great in India. It had a black horse-like head with three large horns jutting out from its skull. It was also referred to as a Tooth Tyrant as it was said to have a mouth filled with vicious teeth. I added some other stuff in to better develop it beyond that but you can look it up if you want to know more about the monster's origin.

I got nothing else for ya tonight folks! Like always I'm open to any and all criticism so go ahead and tell me what you guys think. I'll see you all in a few days with the next chapter!

~ciao


	12. Funeral Blues

**AN: **It's about that time again. After finishing a session of Dnd with the boys I decided to start the next chapter so let's get into it. We're going to be jumping forward into some character development. There's one new guest review today with two very insightful words.

Guest #1: I mean I deadass don't know how to respond. This review doesn't really apply to anything so I'm thinking about moderating it but...aight I guess.

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

Powerful Being Speaking

-Setting/Line Skip-

Funeral Blues

Burning yellow flames licked at the sky eagerly eating away at the corpse within their grasp. A smell of noxious carrion and burnt wood mixed together into an unpleasant aroma as it reached the campers' noses. Liam's eyes absentmindedly stared into the burning flames of Laurel's funeral pyre.

On top of a stone altar covered in the depictions of the Greek gods laid the body of Holly's sister slowly turning into ashy waste. Around the pyre, Liam and his cabin mates watched, some in mourning while the others were decidedly blank.

The fledgling couldn't remember the aftermath of the fight that well; it was a blur.

Flashing voices and people running by in a chaotic dance helping out anyone in need as Holly stood in shock over her dead sister's body next to the blackened remains of the Tooth Tyrant. After he yelled out a camper rushed forward before quickly bringing Sam away towards the Big House running as fast as her feet could carry her.

A slight ringing came into Liam's ears as he followed behind her before the Satyr was haphazardly thrown into a bed. His inner thigh was a bloody mess as she worked with the boy's skin paling more and more with every second passed.

Looking back at the face slowly burning away in front of him Liam's eyes widened in horror as it seemed to shift to Sam's with one of his blue eyes lolling out onto the altar below. The boy took a step back with his mouth opening before he thought _N-No...He's fine. She said he'll be fine._

Liam gave a solemn look over to the younger girl still brokenly staring into the flames as Luke continued to give her sister her funeral rights. The brown-haired girl quietly stuttered, "I-It's not fair..."

Her eyes seemed to suddenly gain life as she angrily stomped one of her feet into the dirt below before yelling out, "It's not fair!" and running back towards the cabin.

Behind her, a few of the other cabin members quickly followed leaving the Stolls, Luke, and Liam behind.

The twins looked almost out of place with their all too usual roguish smiles nowhere to be seen while Luke was giving a heated glare into the afternoon sky. Liam was still trying to take hold of what happened naught but an hour ago.

It could have been Sam if he was a few seconds too late, or even Liam could have been the one burning in the pit in front of them. Slowly beginning to walk away he thought _What if it had been me?_

Thoughts began to take form in his mind of those it would affect.

Sam would surely be hurt, although not as much as one of the two most important people in his life. Liam's mother would be devastated learning of the death of her little boy, even if she learned of it at all.

_Ha, I forgot. She wouldn't care anymore, would she? No one would care about a little monster..._ bitterly thought the boy as entered into the Hermes cabin quietly trudging back towards the barracks hoping to get away from it all.

Just as he entered the room the Fledgling felt something crawl up his throat that had been more and more apparent these days.

A slight burning sensation traveled up and down the back of Liam's esophagus as one of his hands subconsciously came up to scratch at it. He felt parched, almost dry; A red tongue wet two lips as the boy's mind was drawn back to the scamp a few days before.

Trying to put his mind off things for a while at least the boy rushed over to his bed before popping up a floorboard and pulling out his blue backpack. Almost immediately after the fight, Chiron had announced that the camp would have a free day to recoup while he and the other staff figured out how the monster got inside in the first place.

A bitter emotion simmered within Liam's chest as he thought back to how Mr. D appeared to up and disappear during the battle. The wine god seemed to vanish into thin air almost as soon as the hostilities began.

Angrily the boy seethed, "The coward is a god. Couldn't he have done something to help?"

Thinking back to a tool Liam had used much in the past the boy started to quietly count in his head while breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. Slowly but surely the righteous anger simmered down before disappearing leaving melancholy once again.

Trying his best to make his emotions work for him the boy channeled that anger and fear into what he was currently doing. Why spend time worrying about something Liam couldn't control when he could become strong enough to not need to in the first place? All he would need is a little _magic._

Flipping open the purple book Liam turned the old rune filled pages back to where he was. The section was labeled 'Channeling Magicka into the Waters of Oblivion.'

Slowly the boy began to reread it, hoping to glean some insight from the piece.

_Like all other schools, we begin with the most basic application of using Magnus' gift. What to most novice mages is known simply as channeling. This art, if you can even call it that, is achieved through letting magicka flow through you. _(1)

_If you have any willpower at all then this step shall be quite easy for you, let the magicka that flows all around come through you. Be a conduit for the energy, giving its potential form. Once you've done this then you can begin on the second step._

Slowly Liam began trying to practice, once again hoping for whatever cosmic entities that were watching would finally give him some luck so he'd have some success. Letting his breath out in a low drawl Liam did his best to draw in the _magicka _as the book described trying to coax it into him.

The experience was like trying to use a muscle Liam had never before in his life touched. He couldn't feel anything from all his grunting nor what he decided to call "meditation." To the boy, the exercise felt utterly pointless.

Liam sat their upon his bed for what felt like an hour before he finally decided to give up.

The boy felt his frustrations start to slowly build as a frothing heat pushed itself up his throat before Liam exclaimed, "Oh, screw this!" throwing the book at the floor.

In the distance, he heard the talking coming from the cabin's rec room quiet down before slowly picking back up to its normal levels. The boy could barely make out the sounds of muffled female sniffles as a few consoling voices tried to stop them.

Getting up from his bed Liam indignantly trudged over to the book before apprehensively picking it back up again. Grinding his teeth together the Fledgling grumbled, "I just don't know what I'm doing wrong..."

**Does a mountain move because an ant asks it to? The world does not abdicate to your pleas boy. ** uttered a bored voice from Liam's mind seemingly apathetic to his complaints.

Liam felt a shiver roll down his spine at the unnatural voice before quickly thinking back _And how does that help any? If it won't listen to me in the first place then what's the point in trying?_

The voice seemed to take a second the thing before it growled, **The words are written right in front of you boy, you do not ask a slave to work. You order it to.**

Liam's eyes begrudgingly came back to the purple tome in his hands before giving the two paragraphs a second chance. Slowly the Fledgling's mouth opened as he repeated, "You order it to..."

The voice's way of describing the process seemed keenly different from the way Hidja describes it. Hidja talked about magicka with respect like you're trying to court some mysterious mistress, as if you would need devotion and love to truly master it.

While the way the voice portrayed the process, that seemed to hit home with Liam.

It all came back to one thing Liam had to have in his life. Even if the world was falling down around him as long as the boy had it then surely he'd be fine. Liam _had_ to be in control.

Slowly the boy began to try again, coaxing for the unseen energy.

A gasp was heard in the barracks as Liam's eyes widened in surprise. He had tried this time instead to wretch the ethereal energy into his system with a mighty tug. Surprisingly, the magicka listened; this time it had no complaints.

The process began with a small trickle.

Liam's awe quickly became concentration as the boy tried to corral the energy within himself and hold it down. The power was almost fleeting as it tried its best to flee as soon as it entered but with an almost iron-clad will Liam held it down.

The small trickle of energy kept its place within the boy as Liam began to feel and even see the blue wisps of light that flowed around Falion show up on himself. With a large smile, Liam stopped channeling the trickle of power leaving behind a rather small pool within himself.

The smile began to quickly fade as Liam's vision darkened slightly as the boy fell forward collapsing towards the ground. Quickly steeling himself Liam put his hands out just barely catching the ground, anchoring his body in a world that suddenly liked to spin.

"W-What the hell was that?" asked Liam blinking blearily from the floor.

As the dots began to disappear from his vision Liam heard the voice say, **A practitioner's first was always said to be their worst.**

Slowly pushing himself back up Liam thought that he would have to agree.

-The Next Day Inside the Mess Hall-

Liam ended up spending the rest of the day switching between reading and practicing with his spell tome or playing volleyball in one of the large courts nearby. The Stoll twins came back fairly soon and after seeing the cabin down in the dumps and bothered just about any who would listen to come play with them, Liam included.

As the night neared the Fledgling slept with an uncomfortable burn in the back of his throat.

The next day for the camp was still seeing an aftershock of the Tyrant's attack. Shortly after waking his cabin was called towards the Mess Hall by the Hephaestus counselor hoping to get some extra hands with cleaning up the mess. Ultimately, it lead Liam and his cabin, minus one, towards the rubble-filled pavilion.

Slowly Liam leaned down and stuck his shovel underneath a large pile of wood debris. Giving out a small grunt the boy pulled the shovel away balancing the crushed timber pulling it to the side near a fairly large wheelbarrow.

Pink-shaded wood dropped into the barrow's rusted metal as Liam twisted his tool to its side. A small grinding noise rang out as the boy pulled back keeping a firm grasp on the shovel's long wooden handle.

All around the Hermes cabin was doing much of the same thing. A few were shoveling like Liam while most of the others were carrying large pieces of debris from the tables that wouldn't fit or parts of the marble building itself.

The children of Hephaestus' hands seemed to blur as the quickly assembled hundreds of small interlocking pieces slowly making new tables, keeping the same aesthetics from before. A few were cutting out what looked like a new marble pillar to replace one of the ones that had been broken.

Slowly trudging back over towards the towering pile of pink wood in front of Liam muttered, "Damn this sucks..."

Just a short distance away another member of Camp Half-blood was approaching with an almost plastic-like smile permanently burnt onto his face. To most, he would look just as happy yet to those with even a modicum of life experience they'd see the smile for what it was.

A lie. Nothing but a false facade of bravery hoping to keep those around him happy and complacent.

Michael Yew hurriedly walked forward with his eyes scanning the crowd in front of him. Just a few minutes ago his brother had approached him with an offer.

Fletcher Yew had come to him seemingly ready to tell Michael what it was that had it him in a rut. The older brother, Michael, had been a little overjoyed that his younger brother had finally wanted to talk, he was the only person Michael had left after their mother's...accident.

Fletcher had told him that after coming to camp he had been angry, ready to lash out and bite at whatever was nearby. The two new celebrities, as Fletcher framed it, fit that bill perfectly. A short while later Michael's brother had sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and asked him to go find one who still remained at the camp.

Stepping over a large chunk of wood the teenager thought _I can't believe he actually wants to say he's sorry._

Slowly the camper approached Liam as he continued shoveling away hoping to finally finish off the remains of the Aphrodite table. Keeping his too-wide smile plastered onto his face Michael called out, "Hey you're Liam right?"

The black-haired boy turned his head around roughly leaving his shovel sticking out of the pile of pink rubble. Staring at the teen in front of him Liam said, "Yeah...do you need something?"

The more likable Yew brother flashed his twenty-four karat gold smile as he explained, "Oh it's nothing much; I'm here to pick you up. Chiron said you still haven't gotten any armor or weapons, and capture the flag is this Friday."

"Capture the flag?" commented Liam as he walked up to the boy in front of him.

Michael turned around back towards where he came before answering, "It's like a mock battle, all the swords and glory but no real death...usually. The old centaur wanted me to get you geared up."

Just before the two could leave Liam's counselor asked, "Where are you two going?" while wheeling another truckload of debris outside beside them.

_Shit. _cursed Michael in his head before quickly responding, "Oh nothing I'm just going to go get him geared up for capture the flag this Friday."

A little suspicious Luke dumped the wheelbarrow before he pointed out, "Wouldn't it be better for one of his own cabin mates to take him?"

Fletcher's brother seemed to falter a bit as his mind raced. Slowly the boy's mouth began to open as he reassured, "No, no. Don't worry about it; Chiron said for me to do it so your cabin doesn't have to lose any more manpower."

The other two individuals standing outside the Mess Hall could clearly see Luke purse his lips before he said, "Fine..."

Michael gave the scarred counselor a small nod before walking off heading in the direction of what looked like a large metal shed standing just a couple of feet away from Athena's cabin. Liam quickly followed behind him taking the trip as a chance to take a break from cleanup duty.

Just as the two left Luke muttered, "Wait a second...wasn't capture the flag canceled for this week?" (2)

-Just Outside Camp Half-blood's Armory-

The building itself was rather small for what Liam thought an armory should be. To him at least, the building looked like a small garden shed but instead of being made up of some type of wood the walls were made of metal.

Slowly both Liam and Michael approached the building, Fletcher's brother was in the lead by about a foot.

"So what, can I just pick anything?" asked Liam as Michael opened unlatched the door in front of them.

The other boy pulled on what looked like a thick iron rod pulling it up towards the sky. Slowly, after a small amount of effort, Michael turned it as the armories double doors started to creak.

Fletcher's brother turned around with the same docile smile then replied, "Yep! You can only choose one though."

Liam's eyes widened as the door of the shack opened letting some of that afternoon's light in. Completely covering the walls of the building were hundreds upon hundreds of glowing weapons made of celestial bronze. Michael stepped forward with Liam following quickly behind him.

The weapons themselves seemed to be sorted into distinct groups while laying below them in what looked like small piles were different mismatched sets of armor. Slowly Liam let his eyes travel around roaming from a large barrel filled to the brim with spears to swords hanging on the wall just behind it.

"Any one of them?" questioned Liam as he paced about the rather small shack.

Michael stood next to the door and explained, "Ya, any one of them, just make sure to close up when you're done. I gotta run..."

Liam turned his head back around towards the door just barely catching Michael's back as he sped back towards the Big House. Leaving his mouth a little ajar the Fledgling thought _Weird..._

Slowly Liam turned his body back around into the shack taking in the smell of metal and oil that seemed to waft from the place in waves. Leaning down a single shield was lifted up from the piles of armor as Liam took a look at it.

"Maybe if I can get that spell working..." commented Liam as he continued to carry the bronze-plated wood around with him.

A certain weapon came to mind as Liam walked forward heading towards the back of the shed. Lying near the back of the armory in a neat little pile was what seemed to be the leftovers from what everyone else in the camp was using.

Sitting inside the bottom of a very lonely weapon rack was a pair of brass knuckles, an eerily reflective dagger, and the same bronze club Liam had used to fight Clarisse a day before. Leaning down towards the ground the Fledgling's hand gripped upon a familiar handle.

A light jingle of metal was heard as Liam pulled it up with a sour expression on his face. Lightly the boy gave it a small practice swing before letting out a small sigh. Turning back around towards the light behind him Liam thought _Still doesn't feel right..._

Bringing both of the tools with him Liam walked out of the shack before heading over to the two large metal doors normally used to block its exit. Giving the two things a deliberate push, Liam moved the double doors forwards letting out another loud creak from their hinges.

Just as the doors slammed shut dust seemed to fall from the ceiling scattering around in a small cloud. Almost immediately Liam let out a small cough before cursing, "Dammit!" and brushing the dust out of his hair.

The always present burning in the back of his throat seemed to surge slightly at the irritation before leveling off once again. The feeling, no the _need_ to feed was present in the back of his mind, slowly gnawing away at his thoughts.

Angrily picking up his newly acquired weapon and shield Liam turned around hoping to head back towards the Mess Hall. Just before he could a male voice interrupted him.

"Well it looks like the gullible fool wasn't lying; He got you to come," commented Fletcher Yew while leaning up against the armories wall with his bow in hand.

Immediately Liam's entire stature seemed to become more aggressive as he bit out, "What do you want?"

Liam could feel a hit of adrenaline course through his body as Fletcher seemed to think up a response. Out here in this flat area was the perfect spot for the Archer to start a fight. There were no trees for Liam to retreat into, no night to cloak him, and nothing between the two but the celestial bronze shield attached to his hip.

"From you? Nothing, at least not anymore little freak. What I want is to finally get some recognition in this shithole of a camp and killing a monster seems like the best way to do it." explained the son of Apollo all the while one of his hands were inching closer and closer to the quiver on his back.

Keeping his hand wrapped around the handle inside his shield Liam cajoled, "You know you don't have to do this..."

The two seemed to stare at each other each giving the other their own version of a hateful glare. A pregnant silence took them over; You could hear a pin drop. Breaking the silence, for one of the boys at least, was a voice.

**Weak. He's weak, you're strong. Kill him! **Seethed the voice from within Liam's mind.

Slowly the Archer seemed to make up his mind as he quietly muttered, "That's where you're wrong."

A single twitch was all it took for Liam to react as he pulled his bronze-leaden shield over his chest just in the nick of time. Almost immediately the Fledgling felt two large impacts as his shield was pushed back slightly, forcing two arrows in front of him to fall to the ground.

The Archer appeared to blur as he rushed around, sprinting to the side hoping to get around Liam's guard. Pulling out a few more arrows Fletcher held them in his off-hand as he stopped his run. Arrows whizzed through the air.

Liam's eyes widened as he barely moved out of the way of the two bronze-tipped arrows heading towards his feet. With a small growl, he pulled his club from his belt while thinking _Okay gotta watch my legs then._

Peaking around the edge of his shield Liam brought his club around in his off-hand trying his best to keep both level. Once again he heard the telltale sign of the boy's golden bow being pulled as a wood croaked just before arrows whistled through the air.

Liam bit his lip in exertion as two more arrows pushed in slightly indented his shield before falling to the ground. Feeling a little angry at the display the Fledgling exclaimed, "Why don't you do something except shoot at me, you coward!"

A short distance away Fletcher's look of quiet focus seemed to fade a bit as he responded, "Me a coward? Hell if anything you're the coward, hiding behind that shield! Why don't you come out and play you red-eyed freak!"

In the back of Liam's mind, the voice continued to egg him on as fury burned in the boy's chest. Slowly, Liam's now blazing eyes narrowed in on Fletcher's bow as he thought _All I'd need is one hit._

The Archer knocked another arrow as he tried to think of a way to get around his adversaries shield. He'd already tried to go for the boy's feet just barely poking out from the bronze wall of a shield's bottom to no avail. Slowly Fletcher cursed, "Shit." under his breath.

Taking in a deep breath through his nose Liam gradually lowered his center of gravity. A reckless plan came to his mind. Liam would wait for him to start up another volley then just when Fletcher launched the first arrow he would run forward and try to break the boy's bow, hopefully disarming him.

Quietly, the Fledgling waited for the sound of arrows whistling through the air.

After a quick moment of silence, Fletcher's bow answered him. Once again Liam heard something akin to a whistle ball being thrown through the air as he pushed off his back leg into a yelling charge. Almost immediately, three thumps came onto his shield.

Fletcher looked over in a little shock at the boy's idiotic charge before firing another arrow this time at a piece of Liam's shoulder that seemed to just barely stick out.

Instantly, the Archer saw the charge falter slightly as his arrow's razor-sharp head impacted into pale flash, but it didn't seem to be enough. Liam continued forward ignoring the dull pain in his shoulder as he threw his shield arm outwards smashing into Fletcher with a loud bang.

Fletcher's body tumbled over itself as he fell backward stunned.

A bronze club shot through the air as Liam took the opening he made to attack; a loud scream rang out just a little ways from the cabins as Liam's weapon impacted with the Archer's hand bustling through golden wood.

Fletcher's let out a low hiss as he pushed himself to his rear feeling shards of wood go deep into his hand. Across from him, the vampire's eyes appeared to burn brighter as blood dripped along the ground from the son of Apollo's hand.

The green underneath Fletcher was smeared red as Liam once again came across a sickly sweet smell. All of the sudden, the burning pain in the back of his throat seemed to return tenfold as he hungrily stared at the boy in front of him.

Two fangs peeked out from underneath Liam's lips.

The now disarmed Archer reached near his boot before pulling out what he would refer to as his last resort. A small curved boot dagger came from one of Fletcher's shoes as he hurriedly pulled himself to his feet.

"What'd you think I was just a bow fighter?" growled the boy as he took a stance holding the dagger, point facing towards the sky, in his uninjured hand.

The vampire's face seemed to settle into a snarl as he held his shield up high with a bronze club waiting just behind it. Slowly the two started to circle each other with neither fully committing to a move. A few lackluster swings and swipes were made by either of them before one broke up the monotony.

Fletcher's leather boot rushed forward impacting Liam's shield with a loud bang as the Fledgling started to stumble backward. Liam's eyes went wide as he limply dropped his guard from the hit leaving him open for an attack.

The camper rapidly took advantage of the situation as he brought his celestial bronze dagger forward stabbing into Liam's side.

A blinding pain came from underneath Liam's armpit as the arm holding his club seemed to crumble with its strings cut out. His club dropped to the ground with a hefty thump as Liam pulled away putting his shield back into place.

_Goddammit! _stormed Liam from within his mind while biting his lips at the pain.

"Come on you damn monster, what're you going to do now?" exclaimed Fletcher as he slowly approached with his dagger in hand.

Liam's mind started to race as he thought about how to get out of this situation.

_Go for the weapon?_

Liam looked over to see his club a good twenty feet away upturned under some uncut grass.

_No that won't work...my shield?_

A small scenario played out in his mind as Fletcher continued to stalk forward of Liam beating his adversary to death with his shield.

_Shit, I need something else...come on Liam think!_

Apollo's son was only five feet away from him now, holding his dagger in an underhand grip just waiting to bring it around Liam's shield. Instantaneously a silly, no a stupid idea came to the Fledgling's mind.

_What if I try that? But the book said not to skip steps...who car-_

Cutting Liam off from the confines of his own mind was the voice which encouraged **Do it.**

Standing back up from his crouch Liam kept his shield hefted high as he began to slow his breathing. With a wrenching pull from his mind, the boy felt around for the leftover magicka from earlier surely sitting within him.

Now standing in front of him, Fletcher pulled a sneer onto his face as he jeered, "Oh, have you finally given up? Put down your shield and I'll make it quick...promise."

A small trickle of mana began to travel from his pool as Liam ordered it to flow out of him. Slowly he looked up and sent out a call, screaming for something anything to respond. The blue wisps surrounding his left hand turned a deep purple as the air near the boy's hand seemed to break.

Across from him Fletcher's grin seemed to shrink as the vampire didn't respond to his taunts. Not even noticing the purple glow coming from behind the shield the Archer approached even closer, completely oblivious.

Almost as soon as the tear was made it closed and with it something was left behind. A shapeless formless being was in his hand, a lesser Daedra. Liam could feel a sizable chunk of his pool disappear being eaten away at the creature squirming in his hand.

As soon as the little creature was done Liam felt an angry push from the thing almost like it was trying to challenge him somehow. Instinctively, Liam squeezed down on the thing as it instantly stopped its probing seemingly going limp.

_What was the next part...oh yeah forming. _thought Liam as an image took place in his mind.

"What are you doing freak?" questioned Fletcher as he finally seemed to notice the eerie purple glow coming from beneath his shield.

Liam didn't answer as the voice within his mind exclaimed, **Tear his flesh from his bones!**

Gripping the newly formed weapon in his hand, Liam thought he'd sure as hell give it a try. Fletcher's eyes widened as the vampire's shield shot forward smashing into him once again. The archer gave out a whimpering cry as his nose crumpled towards his face spraying blood all over the shield that hit it.

Fletcher brought a hand forward to his face as he stumbled backward, his heart pounding.

The other boy's face widened in a too toothy smile as he swung his new weapon forward. Fletcher could just barely see what the thing was before it impacted him square in the chest. Liam's new weapon was a mace.

Glowing a translucent purple was a large mace with four-prongs that each ended in deathly sharp spikes, serrated at their tips. The weapon itself seemed to be one solid object which tapered down towards its handle. At which sat a small ring and three more serrated spikes serving for a pommel. (3)

All in all, the ghostly object looked fit for some type of demon.

Bones crunched and flesh was rent as Liam's bound weapon slammed into the Archer's shoulder dragging along his chest. Liam could smell something akin to honey as he pulled the mace back bringing with it bloody viscera mixed with shredded orange cloth.

With bloody murder written on his face, Fletcher jumped back barely able to hold onto his dagger as more and more of his blood dripped to the floor. A little fearful he called out, "Y-You won't get away with this."

Liam didn't respond as he brought the mace up again, this time with an almost cruel smile on his face. Metal sparks flew as Fletcher tried to deflect the strike ultimately running it along his arm as his last line of defense was thrown across the field into the armory's metal wall landing in the dirt.

Slowly bring the blood-covered mace back up, Liam stared down onto the boy who was now crumpled down onto the ground in pain. The Fledgling didn't know what it was about the fight, but it just made him feel so...so

_Alive._

In the back of the boy's blood-lust addled mind, the voice yelled, **This! This is what it means to be my kin.**

Liam's foot shot forward as he smashed it into the back of Fletcher who was no beginning to openly sob. Trudging across the ground Fletcher's eyes leaked as he pulled himself along in fear with his one good arm.

"S-Stop it." pleaded a quiet voice below him

Liam didn't hear him over the voice in his mind that seemed to be giddy at the sight as it exclaimed, **This is what it means to dominate!**

Once more a glowing purple mace was brought into the sky followed by a sickening crunch as blood spurt into the air. Going unnoticed by Liam was the ephemeral symbol that appeared over his head glowing a dark red.

If he were paying attention, the symbol was one Liam would most certainly recognize. A demon faced humanoid with two glowing blue eyes and horns to match flew in the sky like a banner threatening all those who would dare challenge it. (4)

"I-I was supposed to be a hero..." quietly muttered Fletcher as black dots began to dance around in his vision.

The lesser Daedra dispelled itself as Liam's blood-covered hands pulled up the beaten body of Fletcher by the back forcing him to his knees. Two large fangs inched closer to the Archer's neck as Fletcher felt a small pinch before finally going unconscious, never to wake again.

Molag Bal quietly stated, **A fledgling no more.**

In the distance, a scarred son of Hermes stared up into the sky his eyes wide, filled with curiosity.

**AN: **I bet that was a doozy for you all, and with this chapter, we are going to begin moving onto bigger and greater things. Overall I had a lot of fun writing this one and it brought one of my OCs to an end.

Overall, what did you guys think of him as a minor villain? I tried my best to make him actually believable goal wise yet still hateable. I also threw in a pinch of sympathy with his backstory to try and keep the edge between hero and villain razor thin. *cough* theme *cough*

Other than that though I don't have anything new to talk about on the story development side so let's keep moving folks.

(1) Magnus' gift is in reference to how there are some legends in the Elder Scrolls which say Magnus helped or even directly gave the populace the ability to manipulate magicka. Although from what I've seen just about every civilization has a different version of this so I went with the Cyrodillic one as it made the most sense for how the author would refer to it.

(2) Capture the flag happens every Friday at camp. It's basically like a big battle royal between two halves of the camp (and sometimes the hunters might be more on them later) in which they try to capture the flag in the forest. Usually, each team has a flag that is planted on either side of the creek which splits Camp Half-blood's forest in half. I canceled it because of the monster being inside the camp and the staff trying to figure out how.

(3) This is a bound mace. Overall bound weaponry, in general, is a lesser Daedra forced into the role of some weapon by a mage after being summoned. This is exactly what happened with Liam but I fleshed out the magic system some. I hope you guys like my interpretation of it as a lot of the stuff in the lore is just open-ended. I like it better than just saying Liam spontaneously achieved magical prowess offscreen or not at all.

(4) This is a claiming although I mostly threw it in for dramatic effect. Claimings are basically when a god claims their child as their own flashing a gaudy symbol overhead. It just worked really well to tie up the scene so I put it in. I'm also thinking about making it a plot point but I might not depending on how the next few chapters go as I'm still a bit indecisive on it.

The symbol itself is basically Molag Bal's head from one of his shrines which has blood dripping from the mouth. I thought it worked better than just his mace as a symbol.

I've got nothing else for ya today everybody. Like always I'm open to any and all criticism so go ahead and tell me what you guys think. If you're a guest I'll respond in the next chapter if not I'll send you a DM. See you all in a couple of days!

~ciao


	13. Interlude - Lamae

**AN: **A short interlude here on a character that I think a large swath of people would like to see some more of. She was in the first chapter, wears red satin, is probably a psychopath, and she's vampire queen supreme, reintroducing Lamae Bal! ~enjoy

(also if there are any new guest reviews they'll be in the next full chapter.)

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting-

Interlude #2 – Lamae

Daintily walking around in the night Lamae pushed one of her pale hands up into the sky. A large smile crossed over her face as she pulled her open hand shut cutting off her view of the moon that seemed to just barely come between her thin fingers.

Barefoot she continued to walk tracking _his _smell.

The aroma just barely reached her nose as she took in another deep breath hoping to catch another glimpse of it. The mix of ice and blood, of her and him, of her revenge that was not quite done yet. Slowly she thought back to the boy.

Her eyes seemed to shimmer for a second as she thought back to her first taste.

It came across her tongue like frigid ice filled with power, yet it was all unused. The masterful flavor was a breath of fresh air, and she _loved _it. Unlike the rest of the plebeians around on who she fed, it was completely lavish.

A manic grin stretched across her face as she started muttering, "Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine! Mine! All Mine!" before starting her walk once again.

She couldn't stand it, the thought of anyone, anyone at all touching her precious little delicacy. The woman's fingernails seemed to grow into long gleaming claws as she gripped onto a nearby handrail. No one else would have him, ever.

Metal groaned as she suddenly let go leaving behind an indented pipe of steel perfectly showing the size of her hands. Straightening her red satin dress, the Blood-matron continued on with her walk slowly pushing down her emotions retracting the claws from her fingers.

The red glow perverting her eyes seemed to fade as they turned back to baby blue with her grin following soon after. Underneath the bridge water and thunder started to take over as the woman let out an ominous humming as she walked.

Hopefully, she'd only have to cross the bridge to see him again. A little bit of the mania from before came back as she lovingly whispered, "Soon..."

If anyone were to be listening that night they would hear that humming go all the way from New York to Long Island

**AN: **I know this is short but like I said these interludes are cut scenes or scenes that I just think are fun. This one was a cut scene from the chapter with the empousa fight a while back. Originally I had it switch at the end with Lamae Bal stalking Liam through his little journey to Camp Half-blood.

Overall it's not really needed but it is some good character development for her in my story, but it didn't flow well with what I was trying to achieve in the chapter so I cut it. This scene, in particular, is her following after Liam and Sam across the bridge on foot.

I rewrote a few lines and decided to make a short interlude on it as we are switching gears again in the story.

~ciao


	14. On the Road Again

**AN: **How's it going folks? I got a new chapter coming at ya. In this one we are going to be moving on with the story; I see this as the midpoint of arc one but we'll see how it develops. I also got one guest review today to cover so let's get into that.

Alex Martinez: First off thanks for the review; they're always encouraging to get good or bad. Liam does have a "fan" now if you want to call her that. In due time we will see just how friendly they end up getting.

With the spacebattles thing, I've heard of it but never really looked into it. I looked at it some after reading your review and it seems like a forum so conversations are more open. There would be some work involved but I might look into doing it in the future. If you're looking into talking with me directly I made a discord server (you can find a link to it on my profile page).

Other than that the quarantine sucks but at least you all have some more free time. I've certainly been able to write more and play some more videogames.

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line Skip-

On the Road Again

"How do you plead?" asked a gnarly old voice.

Flabbergasted, Sam continued to stare at the five men in front of him, all sitting along a curved stone table that seemed to be cut from the Earth itself. Three of the men were Satyrs, supposedly old and wise, who were eating away at their midday meals.

Farthest to the left of the council stood Chiron with a pensive look on his face while far to the right Dionysus sat sipping from a can of CocaCola.

Sam's eyes appeared to openly stare at the ground as he replied, "I-I don't know...What are you even talking about?"

One of the three Satyrs turned his gaze towards the boy before growling out, "We've already explained it to you; you stand accused of letting a monster inside the camp."

The younger Satyr's face went through an entire range of emotions before he thought back to how he first arrived. As soon as Sam was awake in the infirmary he was called forth the Council of Cloven Elders. (1)

_Well if me being 'called' is being escorted by armed guards with their swords at my throat as they dragged my furry ass out into the forest. _Thought Sam still trying to keep the pressure off his wounded leg.

Chiron looked to be waiting for something to happen as he quietly stood staring off into the distance. The Centaur's eyes were tired, almost ghastly in the way they glanced about bouncing off every person in the clearing before settling down on the Satyr in chains in front of him.

"I...Why would I let a monster in the camp? I'm a protector!" called out the younger Satyr looking appalled at the very thought of him somehow betraying the camp.

The Wine god seemed to find something amusing as he chuckled and sat down his drink. Leaning forward slightly with that same mirth present on his face the god said, "Just say it already! We know you did it; you let the both of them in."

Sam seemed to be even more confused as he wondered _Another monster?_

The Teacher of Heroes let out a solemn sigh as he gave a guilty look over to the chained boy in front of him. There was nothing he could do other than wait, the gods always had to have someone to blame.

The fattest of the council members, surprisingly not Mr. D, brushed some old crumbs out of his beard before proposing, "I suggest we move on. The council has already proved our burden of guilt; what punishment shall he receive?"

"Y-You can't just do that..." mumbled Sam still confused at the comment about a second monster.

The three elderly satyrs' voices quickly tucked into low whispers as the two outliers on either side said nothing at all. Slowly, one of the three grit out, "Fine!"

Finally, a gnarled set of horns turned back towards the sky as the youngest of the three, the only one with color still in his hair, bellowed: "Silenus says we should take it to a vote; all in favor of execution-"

Sam's eyes went wide in fear; the Satyr looked over in shock as Chiron's mouth began to open.

"Might I suggest a _lighter _punishment?" interrupted the Centaur while turning towards the three.

The three Satyrs had a skeptical look come over their faces but nonetheless listened. Mr. D looked around bored as Chiron continued on explaining, "We have no real, definitive proof."

The Satyr, Silenus, gave the Activities Director a cold glare as he commented, "What then? We have to do something...need I remind any of you what happened the last time we let something like this pass?"

Almost immediately Chiron flinched at the reminder but steel still kept its place within his eyes. The horseman slowly opened his mouth then proposed, "Exile. We have no need for more deaths this day, let alone of those who may be innocent of their crimes."

Mr. D leaned forward, finally seeing a decision being made, then exclaimed "Finally! Let's take it to a vote then. All in favor raise their hands."

Around the table, each and every person's hand shot towards the sky except for one. Silenus the most ancient of the three Satyrs glanced at Chiron before apologizing, "For what it's worth, I am sorry it had to co-"

Cutting him off Dionysus declared, "Motioned is passed four to one. Sam Greenwood is to be exiled from Camp Half-blood until further notice...meeting adjourned."

Throughout all that time Sam seemed to slowly build up his courage to speak out but in less than a few minutes the boy's fate was decided. A bitter expression washed onto his features as he thought _And I didn't have a single say in it..._

"Wait a second, you said there was a second monster," commented Sam as parts of the council started to leave with Mr. D being the first to disappear, seemingly fading into a grape-colored mist.

Silenus stood up blubber rubbing against the limestone hewn table before he concurred, "You're correct."

Two guards came in wielding blades as Sam pulled himself to his feet with the chains below him clanking all the while. Curiosity seemed to burn within him as the younger Satyr asked, "What monster was it?"

Silenus pulled back his wood carved chair before explaining, "We think it was some newer born fiend, similar to an Empousa but not close enough to call it one. A body was found this afternoon, drained of all its blood."

The two guards busied themselves by slowly undoing the chains binding Sam at his hands and feet. A light click echoed out into the field before the iron manacles fell towards the ground. Lightly grasping one of his wrists Sam questioned, "Who was it?"

"A boy, one of Apollo's kindred. Along with what we can assume was one other," answered Silenus as he walked around the council's main table heading straight towards the middle of the clearing.

The older Satyr's eyes seemed to be conflicted; they would switch between some semblance of righteous anger and guilt as he looked at Sam. One of the guards firmly grasped Sam by the shoulder as Silenus continued, "Liam, I believe he was your friend...H-he's the one who went missing."

Sam's eyes widened in shock.

-Outside Camp Half-blood, Long Island-

Liam gave one last longing glance at the camp before gritting his teeth and facing the other way. Slowly, the vampire readjusted his blue backpack before walking off into the woods. The idea of staying was in the back of his mind, but it was just too risky.

_I'm gonna have to make it on my own. _Thought Liam as he continued to push through the now snow-covered ground outside the Camp's boundaries.

The sun continued to fall as the boy thought back to his "encounter" with Fletcher.

He lost himself to it, again. The now named, voice of Molag Bal continued to egg him on and drown out everything around him until Liam only saw red. He could remember it even now. The pure look of utter horror given to him by Fletcher.

Liam stumbled a bit as some bile came up from his throat.

Liam smiled when he did it; he _smiled _while smashing the poor boy to a bloody pulp. He could only remember flashes that were filled with red, blood, and screaming. Then came that damned smell.

A smell of honey-like ichor suffused itself into the air which just perfectly seemed to scratch the _itch _in the back of Liam's throat. Fletcher's blood called to him, no it sang to him. By the time Liam had realized what was going on he had already ripped out the camper's throat.

The bound mace he conjured was all but gone while fresh warm blood was covering him, seemingly coating his upper body and mouth. The voice was eerily silent as Liam looked down with dread to see Fletcher's pale corpse splattered on the ground. It only took him a few seconds to decide.

Liam had to run. Who knows what a camp filled to the brim with monster hunting demi-gods would do to him.

As quickly as he could the vampire rushed back towards his cabin hoping to any god who would care that he wouldn't be noticed. Luck seemed to be on his side that day as Liam was able to make it back to his cabin with no trouble at all. The only person he saw was at a distance, still working to help clean up the mess outside the camp's Dining Pavillion.

After quickly checking to see if any of his cabin mates were inside, Liam rushed forward rushing towards his bed. While moving as fast he could possibly go, the vampire pulled up the loose board beneath his bed, grabbing his bag, then ran.

A slight look of regret came onto Liam's face as he thought _Ha, you were right. I shouldn't have come to this camp._

The voice that has been in ever-present in Liam's mind didn't give him a response. The almost fickle thing seemed to only care about two things, its own pride and violence.

All around the wind continued to blow as Liam walked throwing around litter and dead plant matter with it. A few solid inches of snow was still on the ground while the biting cold that Liam should have felt wasn't there. Long Island's winter wonderland felt like a cool summer day to the vampire, although the breeze still did feel just a bit uncomfortable.

Slowly as Liam walked, the pine-tree-filled forest surrounding Camp Half-blood fled his view as he came across the road on which he arrived. Out in the distance, the vampire could see the same bus stop just a short distance away.

Subconsciously reaching for his nonexistent wallet Liam thought _Looks like I'm gonna have to keep walking..._

Sneakers started to impact the poorly plown asphalt road as Liam kept up his pace hoping to get far away from the camp before they found Fletcher's body. Absentmindedly, the boy fumbled with his bronze club as he walked, readjusting it at random.

Liam could imagine the looks, the hateful glares thrown his way by Fletcher's friends and family. Looking back on it the vampire didn't really know what to think. There was no real feeling of remorse beyond what the other might think of him, of what they would find out.

"It was him or me; that's the end of it," muttered Liam as the first signs of civilization came up in front of him.

In the distance what looked like a small woodland town came into view filled with, what seemed to Liam, a bunch of tourist traps. There were small mom and pop stores on every corner all advertising their supposedly fresh strawberries. Near the center he could see a small hotel with a sign, blazing its neon lights above.

Liam brought his eyes to the right to see a large billboard.

It had old peeling paint but from what the vampire could see the thing had some kind of old cartoon strawberry painted on it. The mascot had a large smile and over-exaggerated features that ended up looking like something straight out of fallout.

A speech box was up to the right reading, 'Best Strawberries North of the Border!"

In the small town, Liam could see lights in some of the buildings while a majority of the tourist attractions seemed to be closed down for the year. Not thinking much of it Liam started to approach before something came into his vision.

Liam's eyes trailed down to his torso still covered with slowly drying blood. Slowly the boy ground out a curse saying, "Shit. How did I forget about that?"

Well if he couldn't go into town what could he do?

The vampire's eyes edged the sparse forests surrounding the town as a plan came to his mind. Liam started to walk towards the rather empty looking woods while thinking _There has to be some kind of creak or stream around here._

Just as he entered into the forest's darkly lit canopy Liam continued on thinking _Either that or I'll use somebody's hose and hope it's not frozen._

Underneath him, the white blanket of snow began to be ruined as Liam kept on with his search for some source of water. One of the boy's ears perked up as he thought he heard the sound of what he was looking for.

In the distance Liam heard the sound of slight trickling, almost like some forgotten creek was nearby. Continuing to listen to the faint noise, he approached heading right towards it.

Up in front of Liam, the wooded area opened up a bit to reveal what appeared to be the remains of some old and forgotten creek, slowly leaking through moss-covered rocks heading towards the ocean. Looking at it he could see the water looked fairly clear and only a few inches deep.

Slowly the boy approached keeping an eye out for any _unwelcome _visitors_._ After a few seconds of birds chirping and silence Liam pulled the bag off his back before taking off his shirt. It came off fairly easily with the red-orange hue standing out from his pale skin.

Looking it over Liam noticed something.

Just below his right armpit, there was a large hole, sliced into the orange fabric. Liam's eyes brought themselves down to his side as he raised his arm up to get a better look at the damage.

"I never heal that fast..." quietly commented Liam as he gawked at the woundless flesh.

It seemed that drinking blood had more benefits than Liam originally thought.

Shrugging it off the vampire cupped two of his hands into the stream before bringing it up to his face. For most the water would be bone-chilling however for Liam, the cold came across lightly almost as if it came straight from a tap.

Slowly, the boy began to scrub at his face with small flakes of brown falling into the stream below. As the dried blood met the frigid water it started to gradually melt away staining the creek red. Still staying on his knees Liam began to wash off his orange Camp Half-blood t-shirt.

With little trouble, he got most of the red-orange stains off of his clothing washing it into the river below. Downriver a small girlish giggle rang out as Liam stopped what he was doing. Slowly the boy's eyes turned downstream to see the source of the noise.

Just a few feet away sitting within the water was what Liam could only assume to be a Naiad. Water-stricken black hair flowed over her shoulders as she continued to walk upstream, her beautiful features barely visible beneath her hair. Liam took in a gulp of air as he noticed what looked like a scowl on her face.

"I, uh...I didn't know this was your creek." began Liam quickly pulling his shirt back over his chest as the girl kept creeping ever closer.

Slowly the vampire latched his bag back into place before continuing on with, "So um...I'm sorry for ah. Getting a bit of blood in it."

The Naiad once again didn't respond as she pushed forward with the water below her seeming to part slightly as she walked. Slowly she reached just a few feet away from the boy as she gave out another girlish giggle. One of her soaked hands slowly pulled itself upwards.

"So can I just take that as an apology accepted? I-I'll just be going now..." spluttered Liam as he tried to back away from the body of water.

The Naiad's hand shot closed and with it, Liam felt something grip his leg; the water itself was wrapped around his foot with two large winding tendrils keeping him still. Liam could feel a cold sweat build upon his neck as he tried to reason with her once more.

"I-I said I was sorry." pled the vampire staring at the girl with a nervous look on his face.

Again the Naiad didn't say a single word as she slowly tilted her head to one side; another girlish giggle came from her throat as she yanked the hand backward. Instantly, Liam could feel the tentacle of water come with it as he was thrown into the creek with a splash.

Falling face-first into the bone-chilling liquid, Liam quickly stuck his hands out to break his fall, hoping not to be totally soaked. Underneath him, he could feel mossy stones that slipped between his fingers as the frigid water wrapped around him in a chilling hug.

_Oh, come on! _growled Liam in his mind still trying to hold himself still.

A chocolate-brown eye quickly scanned the creek for where the Naiad went to no avail; it seemed that as quickly as the girl appeared she was gone. Moving as fast as he could Liam stood himself back up, feeling water start to drip from his soaking wet clothes.

"You happy now, ya cunt?" growled Liam as he trudged through the water and to the creek's side.

As soon as the words left his mouth another splash of cold water shot up out of the stream and onto the back of his head. Following the blast was another girlish giggle as the water began to drip down towards the ground soaking him again. Liam gave another quick look around hoping to spot her, but the Naiad was nowhere to be seen.

Liam's eyes turned up towards the quickly setting sun as he thought _Just let it go. Chiron did say they were playful...I gotta get somewhere to sleep tonight._

The vampire's eyes trailed about giving a glance towards the nearby road before he started his walk. He'd have to try the town. If not Liam would have to sleep outside, and with his newly discovered reasons to fear the dark, he'd rather not.

Doing his best to keep a lookout Liam started to walk back toward the road, slowly trudging away. Just before he could reach it however, something stood out in the corner of his eye.

A short distance away from the creek there was what looked to be some kind of large mound. Unlike the flat terrain surrounding it, Liam could see the obtuse looking structure was something not natural. Piling over whatever it was were what looked like leaves and dirt.

_A hunting blind? But who would go hunting around here? _Liam questioned within his mind.

Slowly but surely, he started to approach the object trying to figure out just what it was. As he got even closer Liam said, "There's no way in hell...The thing's way too big."

The mound looked to be the size of a fairly small shack just stuck into the ground. Being closer to it Liam could see there was some kind of mesh underneath the dirt and leaves; it almost looked like a tarp to keep out the rain.

Now within just a few feet of it, he started circling it looking for some kind of entrance.

Indented between the dirt was what seemed to be a small outline just large enough for someone to fit through. With the last few beams of sunlight peeking through the canopy, Liam caught a small gleam of metal near the bottom of the seam.

It was a small zipper.

_Maybe I've got a place to stay tonight..._ thought Liam as he leaned down tightly gripping the metal object with two of his fingers.

Metal teeth unsheathed from each other as he began to pull the zipper towards the sky. Following the outlined seam, Liam unzipped the mound's entrance to reveal its insides.

The inside of the hidden tent looked well worn and old. As Liam's eyes adjusted to the darkness inside he could see three child-sized sleeping bags, a small box of what looked like candy in the corner, and what to Liam appeared to be some girl's diary. (2)

The little book had a small pen and a black skull on its front with a heart-shaped lock holding it closed. The toy-like diary resembled something you would get for a young child looking to "document" their own lives, not that a kid would really ever use the thing for its intended purpose.

Giving a quick glance to the now almost completely darkened outside Liam decided this was going to be it for the night. The covered tent would keep him out of the cold at least, just because the wind didn't hurt him didn't mean that it was comfortable.

_What to do now? _Pondered Liam as he pulled off his partially wet backpack.

Taking a few moments to decide the vampire began to strip, taking off his wet clothes before hanging them onto a nearby tree hoping to dry them off a bit. Just outside Liam's tent, he hung up his orange t-shirt and pants leaving him in nothing but his tighty whiteys in the dark.

Feeling the cool breeze Liam commented, "Eh, who cares...no one's here to see."

Bringing his blue backpack inside, Liam zipped the tent shut to keep out the wind. As soon as he entered the boy threw down the bag near the middle of his tent before grabbing the two other small items in the room. Following that the boy sat down his club and shield next to him with the bronze-leaden shield resting off the tent's wall.

Doing his best to use his colorblind night vision Liam brought the candy in front of his face, hoping to make out what was on the label.

Liam's eyes widened a bit as he barely made out the label through the different darkened grays within his tent. The candy seemed to be a small thing of old ambrosia, with Apollo's face plastered on the side.

Similar to the nectar back at camp the container had a large smiling image of the sun god on it with the words "Performance Enhancing!" on the side. Flipping it around Liam could see a large paragraph of lengthy legal crap on the back spouting something along the lines of how Apollo nor any of Sunny D Industries is liable for possible spontaneous combustion. Near the very bottom of the word littered backside, it said: "Discontinued in 2008."

"Could be helpful..." whispered Liam before putting it inside his pack.

Slowly, the vampire fumbled with the small diary and began to read its front. On the front of it in big letters was the name "Thalia Grace" and the words, "Luke stay out!" just below it.

_Wonder who Thalia is..._ thought Liam as he began to pull on the lock.

Trying not to actually wrip the book itself, Liam started to apply more and more pressure to the dollar store lock. Beneath the boy's fingers, the metal thing began to groan as it bent. Biting his lip, Liam pulled harder, and the lock finally seemed to have enough.

The metallic groaning ceased as a small "Chink!" came from between Liam's fingers. Looking down, he could see the lock had snapped with the metal tube going into either side of the heart-like lock being broken in two.

Not thinking much of it the boy opened the book and began to read, well that which was actually readable to him at least.

The blackened diary opened up to show what to Liam looked like the English alphabet but much more curvy. With a scowl, he growled, "The damn thing's in a different language!"

The only thing in the book that Liam could even begin to make out was some crappy drawings spread throughout with words he couldn't understand. Giving out a curse in his head Liam tossed the journal into his backpack with his other two tomes.

_It's only what...six or seven I guess I can try and practice some. _Thought Liam as he pulled his bag closer to him.

Slowly Liam's hand drifted down into his bag to pull out the purple tome that he took it upon himself to master. Noticing it was a little damp he made a note to be a bit gentle with it as he flipped it open to the page in which he left off a night before.

Both of Liam's already enlarged pupils began to adjust even farther as his eyes zeroed in on the darker black that was the runes printed onto his purple book. Looking down the boy began to read.

_I've already covered a basic introduction to summoning, giving you a basic understanding of my school. If you haven't already, at least, covered channeling please go back to that chapter as it is going to be used constantly moving on._

_You may be asking yourself what the next step in our little "journey" will be. To put it simply this chapter will be a crossroad of sorts; this is where you will choose what you want to learn as a conjurer. _

_Do you want to summon fiendish beasts to rip your enemies asunder or to do your bidding whatever it may be?_

_Do you want to use the energies of Oblivion to make your foes work for you, to raise the dead as your unholy servants?_

_Do you wish to burn your adversaries into ash as you use the very waters of Oblivion to coat you in armor so thick nothing short of a dragon can tear through it?_

With each of the written questions, Liam's mind bounced around trying to imagine himself doing each thing described. If he was being perfectly honest Liam couldn't see himself as a necromancer, it just didn't fit with him no matter how cool it sounded. The dead should stay dead.

Hurriedly the boy brought his eyes back towards the page and continued to read.

_All of these different paths are open to you if you desire them. The first I described was that of a traditional summoner whose power lies within their summons, using their will power to enslave the beings of Oblivion to their own mind._

_The second is a road less traveled but still walked upon all the same. It is that of a necromancer, of those who use the decaying entropy of Oblivion to raise the dead or to even make those around you fall to that same energy._

_The last is one most unlike what you would expect for a mage, but one that I've seen every few years taken on by one of my students. They are colloquially referred to as an offset of spells-swords. Currently, it doesn't have enough users to gain its own designation within the guild, but it's there all the same. These mages summon lesser Daedra into weapons and armor bringing with them the very element from where they came._

_The semantics are hotly debated but, in general, if you summon a lesser Daedra from a plane the element they use will closely match the plain from which they came. Although only a few have reached far enough along to reach the point in which they can apply an element at all._

_Now having read this introduction, you need to choose a path in which to begin. (3)_

Looking down Liam could see that each corresponding path had it's own chapter following soon after. Leaving the page open the vampire began to debate on which path would really be right for him.

Necromancy was already ruled out to a fault. The only thing that came to mind when Liam thought of the stuff was that the dead should be left well enough alone. Well, that and he didn't really think anybody would take too kindly to him toting around walking corpses.

Nasty stuff.

To the boy being a summoner sounded like something he could do, hell he'd already taken the first step...kind of. Summoning a bound weapon was technically a summon, but considering the fact that it didn't resist much, Liam couldn't really say. Well there was also the fact the Hidja described it like Liam would be summoning some type of demon.

With a bit of a scowl, Liam thought _I'd rather not do that, thanks. Those things can stay where they belong._

Making his choice Liam flipped the tome's pages until he reached the chapter titled "So you want to be a Spells-sword, eh?"

Liam's tried his best to drown out the creature's hooting and making noises in the night as he bent down to start practicing. Too bad there was something out there in the night besides owls and other woodland creatures. A better term for her would be a monster.

**AN: **Let's go, another chapter in the bag. Story-wise a bunch of stuff happened in this chapter which I hoped helped to develop Liam's character some more. The first little scene was to tie up some loose ends, but other than that this one was more Liam centric.

I tried my best to make it believable on how a child who is slowly becoming more and more of a vampire would react to killing somebody. The shock was definitely there but in the long run, Liam didn't really _feel _much of anything beyond worry that he might get caught.

I tried my best to show how it disgusts him a bit that the first thing he went to when killing someone was not regret but instead that he would be caught. Overall that loss of what makes Liam human is going to keep increasing with time.

Moving right along, let's go into the Annotations.

(1) The Council of Cloven Elders is basically a group of Satyrs that govern over the other Satyrs within Camp Half-blood. Chiron and Mr. D are known to take part in council meetings that are important so I added them into Sam's.

(2) This little tent, if you guys couldn't pick up on it, was one of Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth's little camps they made when journeying to Camp Half-blood. This one, in particular, was the last one they made before reaching camp. If you want to you can look up more about them, but they are scattered around Long Island and the Eastern US

(3) Alright, this is the biggest Annotation I'm going to have for this chapter. Overall magic in the Elder Scrolls is subjective to each user. By that I mean each school is what the user themselves make of it.

You could have someone blast fire from their hands in the Destruction school or you could have them make a whip of fire or even a sword. Overall there are "spells" but what you do with them, outside of the video-game mechanics, and how they are really ranked is up to the users.

In this I split up the basic mechanics of Conjuration and split them up into three different paths that I would think would be pretty well used by mages all around. There are a lot of ways to do it and I'd rather the magic be organized beyond just the schools as a lot of stuff is open-ended or described in completely different ways. If you actually look at some spells they just don't fit with the school they were assigned either so once again it's open-ended with a lot of stuff.

Tell me what you guys think of this as I'm still a bit iffy on it, but for now I'm going to keep it as is. I could do it like in the games exactly as shown but that just takes a large part of what magic is to me. What's the point of having magic if, ya know, it's not magical. There should be some kind of mysterious element with it or there's no real point beyond having some type of scientific approach to it.

I've got nothing else for you today so I'll see you all in a couple of days. Like I said at the beginning I have a Discord server if you're interested but other than that I'm open to any and all criticism so go ahead and blast me. If you guys notice any spelling or grammar errors tell me and I'll fix them.

~ciao


	15. Give Chase

**Edit: **After finish up my one of my exams (woooo...kill me) I read through it again fixing some minor errors and clarifying some lines

**AN: **Hey, hey people! It's that time again, so let's just jump into it. We're going to be moving right along from where the last chapter ended off, with Liam practicing before he went to sleep. In this chapter, I'm trying to focus on what Liam as a character would actually do in the situation he found himself in. What are his goals? His motivations? His thoughts? I'm going to be doing my best to build on his character all while keeping it interesting for you all.

I've got no new guest reviews for you today.

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line Skip-

Give Chase

Liam spent the rest of that night reading through and playing around in the spell-sword section of his tome. Ultimately it bore little fruit beyond what he'd already tried, but Liam did learn a lot of the theory that went behind using bound weapons.

The name of the spell itself was kind of a misnomer.

If one were to use it, they wouldn't really be making a weapon but instead summoning a type of lesser Daedra. These Daedra were, typically, more docile when compared to their powerful cousins. Which led directly into the next step of the spell.

Forming.

This is were a mage would actually force the creature into the armor or weapon that they desired. Overall the process just required said mage to burn a bit of magicka then force their will upon the creature. Soon after, it would form into whatever the conjurer desired.

These two things were the most basic way to use a bound weapon or armor, being the safest as well. (1)

One, if they wish, could try and force a stronger Daedra to their will, hoping to improve their craft beyond a basic bound weapon. In theory, all it would take is a larger amount of magicka used to summon the creature and a stronger will to form it.

Unfortunately with the way Hidja described it Liam thought that the process would be much more involved. The first thing that the mage said was a warning, telling any who were foolish enough to attempt it by themselves that they'd only be going to a quick death.

Other than that though, from what Liam read at least, Hidja never really explained why. The mage just stated the process and wrapped up the section without another word telling Liam why it would be so dangerous. After taking a few moments to weigh the risks versus the rewards, the boy decided to call it quits for the night.

It only took the vampire a few scant moments to fall asleep, being exhausted from walking along the road for hours and his fight earlier that day. Fortunately for him, Liam would be able to sleep through the night without conflict, the morning, however, would be anyone's guess...

The boy gave out a quick yawn as golden rays of sunlight drifted into his commandeered home, lightly brushing up against his skin. The little rays seemed to lick at him as they warmed the vampire's skin.

Pulling himself up and out of the bag from which he slept, Liam got on his two feet. In the distance, the vampire could hear birds chirping, calling out to the world it was time for it to wake. A groggy hand pulled itself forward reaching for the tent's zipper.

Slowly emerging, from the tent was Liam with his pale skin slightly blending in with the snow. Still a little sleepy, he took a step out into the snow, ignoring the cold frost wrapping around his feet. The boy's brown eyes traveled over to the tree a few feet away from his tent as he started to get dressed.

Just as Liam got his pants and orange Camp Half-blood t-shirt on when he noticed something aggravating itching at the back of his throat.

Lightly grasping his throat Liam growled, "It's back..again. It hasn't even been a day yet!"

The ever-present thirst was there, just lightly tickling in the back of the vampire's esophagus. To Liam, it didn't quite burn not yet at least. The one thing his thirst was to him was a constant reminder of his new life, as a monster. It was just another _gift _forced upon him by that infuriating woman.

Doing his best to ignore the uncomfortable thing, Liam finished getting himself dressed and pulled up his blue backpack. Still listening to the morning's songbirds, Liam began to think out what he was going to do.

The first thing to worry about was survival.

For the inexperienced boy, all that really equated to was food and water. He'd never really had to go beyond being thirsty in one of his old classes, but funnily enough, Liam didn't feel hungry at all. Looking back on the last week Liam thought _When was the last time I actually felt hungry?_

Slowly in his mind, memories began to play back as Liam tried to remember. At the end of the little dive, he couldn't. There wasn't a single time where the vampire actually felt hungry; sure he still ate but that was just because the food was given to him not that he felt the need to.

The only really need Liam felt beyond sleep was the thirst burning within his throat.

"Weird..." muttered the boy as he walked back towards the hidden tent, hoping to find a way to pack it up.

The second thing Liam could try and do was find somewhere to stay.

A small vision of Camp Half-blood and the Davis family home flashed within Liam's mind before he bitterly threw away the thought. Rolling up the sleeping bag in which Liam slept he sighed, "I guess that's not really _too _important..."

What else was there for Liam? To practice magic? Maybe he could find out more about his new "disease."

A small grimace came onto the boy's face as he trudged up more bad memories. Subconsciously he was searching for a way to avoid them and every time he tried to think another one would pop up, subverting everything Liam was trying to do. One of his three books silently sat taunting him to take a look at it, hoping for some way to escape.

Doing his best to squash a wave of latent burning anger deep into his chest, Liam latched onto something he had never really thought of before.

What if there was a way to get rid of it? A way for Liam to no longer be a monster, a cure.

A disheartening chuckle sounded out as Liam pulled himself and the now three rolled-up sleeping bags outside and into the snow. Giving a deadened look at the tent in front of him Liam thought _Ha, ya right. There's no way...Either that or it'd only make things worse._

For the boy at least, it would be nothing but food for his thoughts. As quickly as he could, Liam shook his head then grumbled, "Stop it, Liam. Just focus on the now, worry about that crap later."

Leaning down towards what, the boy could only assume to be, the pegs holding his tent in the ground he thought _Oh, great. I'm talking to myself now. That's totally...normal._

As the vampire bent down and began to work, pulling up the tents four main pegs, something in the distance caught his attention. A far-flung humming could barely be heard over the sounds of birds chirping.

At first, he didn't pay attention to it, but slowly the noise began to creep ever closer.

The noise was almost musical as the definitively female tone kept rhythmically humming some song. To Liam, it almost sounded like some type of nursery rhyme, like the ones his mother used to sing to him when he was young.

Stopping what he was doing Liam, quickly pulled up his blue book-bag over his shoulders. Inside it, he'd put one of the rolled sleeping bags along with the rest of his meager supplies. Hurriedly Liam reached for his club and shield while thinking, _I don't like the sound of that. I don't like the sound of that at all._

As the feminine voice slunk closer, now seeming to bounce off the trees around him in duress, Liam could have sworn he recognized it. The uppity, almost excited tone seemed to resonate with him in a way that part of him found pleasant while making the rest shiver in fear.

Liam just couldn't remember where he had heard the voice before; it was on the tip of his tongue. Slowly as a woman came into view, along the stream's edge, it hit him.

The two chocolate brown eyes within Liam's skull flashed a dangerous red. The boy's fists tightened in anger as he recalled the face of the woman in front of him. Red pooled around the boy's head as her face broke open into a familiar.

Beautiful laughter coming from a gazebo, with an equally beautiful woman to match. A red frilly dress made entirely of satin. The red, carnivorous flower sitting on the crown of her head. The manic smile stretching wide across her face.

Standing across the clearing from Liam was one Lamae Bal in all of her monstrous glory.

"Hello love! It's been so long." cooed Lamae, smiling all the while. Her voice came out and with it, Liam felt a small compulsion from her. Gritting his teeth he stood still, putting power in his legs ready to flee at a moment's notice.

"Tell me little fledgling, how have you been doing? Have you been alright? Eating well?" ranted the psychotic woman still in an endearing tone. Her almost flowery voice rang out like a chime perfectly matching with the birds singing around her, the complete opposite of the last time Liam had seen her.

For a moment Liam's eyes were drawn into her own as he stared into the baby-blue pools. They looked so innocent, so pure. They were so unlike the monster hidden just underneath. Liam took a single step back as she took one more towards him.

Lamae's nose seemed to turn up slightly as she sniffed the air. The already wide smile on her face stretched as the woman purred, "Oh, I can smell it; you have been eating well."

Instincts kicked in as Liam snapped himself out of his dazed stupor growling, "Y-You!"

The Blood-matron brought both of her hands out wide in a welcoming motion then said, "Yes, me. Come here, kindred. It's been _so _long."

Once again, Liam could feel her voice burning into his brain. Unlike the Empousa or when he first met her however, the flowery thing was just here. It was nothing more than a mere suggestion; it didn't feel as compulsive, almost like a small echo in the back of his mind. Liam was determined not to listen.

_Who knows what else, she'll do? I-I gotta get out of here. _Thought Liam as his eyes darted around hoping for some type of distraction.

Despite what Liam would say, this woman truly scared him. He could take one of the wannabe Greek vampires. He could take the fifteen-foot tall horse monster. He could even take a murderous camper trying to be a hero, but Lamae?

She scared him.

"S-Stay back!" stuttered Liam, slowly backing away all the while. Unlike any of the other times Liam had gotten into some type of conflict, the voice of Molag Bal was surprisingly silent. The boy couldn't feel it fanning his emotions trying to force him to fight.

Despite not liking the voice much, not having it frightened Liam even more. It was something he had had for his entire life, every time he came around this woman it became completely silent. His mind felt empty and with it; Liam felt alone.

The woman's blue eyes seemed to slowly dye a darkened red as she mumbled, "No...that's not right." while looking down at the ground. Lamae looked almost sad when Liam didn't approach; it only took her a second to recover though.

As soon as she brought her head down Liam reacted. Thinking it was his only chance to get away from her the boy started sprinting out towards the road, hoping to get away from the fiend.

Lamae's now glowering eyes shot up at the sound of snow crunching beneath Liam's feet. Surprising Liam, he couldn't hear her chase after him. The Blood-matron's face seemed to warp slightly before settling back into her usual disturbing smile.

The meat-like flower on her head dripped cold blood as she raised one of her arms. Even in the distance, Liam could feel it.

All around the forest magicka swirled as the ethereal energy rushed into the woman. Her hand curled as purplish energy lit up, brightly shining in the morning sun. All of the wildlife within the clearing went silent as the woman brought her hand down.

The sky in front of Lamae rippled as the lavender-colored Magicka ripped through the air. A sound of grinding metal brushed itself through the sky as a purple portal opened, instantly shooting out a long red and black limb.

"Bring him to me, alive." ordered the Blood-matron as the portal in front of her closed.

Standing in front of the woman was a type of Daedra few would have experience with. Within the realms of Oblivion, they would be considered someone higher up in the Hierarchy, something akin to nobility, but here the beast was nothing more than a mere servant.

A loud hissing voice intoned, "Yes, Mistress." as long spider-like limbs pushed into the ground, propelling the Daedra forward.

Lamae looked on as the Spider Daedra she summoned chased after Liam following the trail he left in the snow. Looking over the female vampire could see three smaller portals open up with small spiderlings quickly following behind her. (2)

The Daedra had four spider-like limbs on either side of its large body, with each one matching the glowing-red, heavily armored, black carapace beneath it. The creature itself was about the size of a large horse with the torso of a human woman meeting the lower body of an arachnid just below it.

The spiderlings looked to copy there mother in appearance in all except size. Each one had long, white hair that flowed around their bare chests with the same spider-like body waiting below. Every one of the three smaller Daedra were about the size of a small dog, quickly following behind their larger counterpart.

Their more massive mother slowed her approach as her children sped forward. Small clinking noises quickly echoed out, each of the children's small spindly limbs ripping through the snow with reckless abandon.

The glow within Lamae's eyes seemed to fade as she watched them disappear into the distance. Slowly walking, she trailed after them letting a smile come back onto her face. She'd have him soon; all she would have to do is wait.

-Near the Main Road with Liam-

As quickly as Liam's feet could carry him, the boy rushed through the forest. Behind him, he could hear what sounded like a small snap as more Magicka poured through the air like a thick syrup. Suddenly the growing mass of ethereal energy seemed to reach it's peak as it all disappeared.

Following soon after, Liam heard a few chitinous clicks before he knew something was chasing after him. Bated breaths ran from Liam's lungs as his feet finally impacted solid asphalt. A short distance away the boy could hear the clicking get faster and faster before something came into sight.

The boy's eyes rapidly gained more color as three small spider-like Daedra burst forth rapidly gaining on him through the snow. Liam's fear seemed to drain away at the site; to him at least, they didn't really look powerful at all.

Nothing but knee-high bugs to crush underfoot.

Hurriedly bring up his shield and club, the vampire readied himself for a fight, stopping in the middle of the road letting them come to him.

Dexterously, the three little beasts approached leaping forward onto the lightly covered road. Their blackened carapaces let out hollow tones as they impacted the hardened rock below. The four spider-like limbs on either side of the creatures' bodies went still as the one in the lead craned its neck.

Liam's eyes went wide as the child's torso that seemed to grow from the spider body let out a gurgled hiss before green noxious fluid rocketed through the air. A smell almost akin to vomit hit his nose as the verdant juice impacted onto his shield.

Almost immediately, the young vampire could feel the stuff begin to drip down to the ground while glowing a poisonous green. All the while, the thing's vapors wafted from it all around in the air. The smell seemed to get a little bit worse, but it didn't affect Liam in the slightest.

A small scowl came across the Daedra's child-like face it approached, with its sisters following close behind. From the back of Liam's mind, Molag Bal's voice suddenly cut in growling, **The Spinner's unruly servants. Leave before their mother arrives. **

Startling Liam a bit, the constant drone of fury that usually came with the voice was noticeably absent. It still sounded angry, almost irrational really, but the prince's words didn't carry their usual weight. The voice sounded like it was drowned out, almost as if it was talking through a thick film.

_Shit, what do I do? They're too fast. _Thought Liam as the smaller creatures completely surrounded him, poking and prodding with their legs.

All it took for the boy to attack was one of them straying a bit too close.

The spiderling farthest to Liam's left rapidly pulled one of its legs up trying to get around the boy's guard. Having the three of them line up in front of him, Liam noticed the attack fairly easily. Sparks flew through the air as the charred leg ran along his shield.

Taking the opportunity for what it was, Liam pushed forward knocking the Daedra with his bronze-leaden guard. Quickly following it up, he slammed his club through the air hoping to catch the jumpy creature as it stumbled.

A high pitched squeal rang out as the Daedra's fleshy abdomen crumpled beneath Liam's club. Green and yellow puss shot out of the dog-sized creature's torn skin before it seemed to ripple.

Looking over in a bit of shock, Liam could feel the same Magicka from before appear to dissipate back into the air as the same snap from earlier sounded out in front of him. The spiderling glowed a bright purple before disappearing through a portal.

"A-A summon?" stuttered the vampire before quickly turning to the other two monsters left on the road.

**Yes, you imbecile. Now leave before the one who conjured them arrives! **Ordered Molag Bal sounding more clear within Liam's mind.

In the distance, Liam could hear loud clunking steps punch through the snow; the other two spiderlings continued to wail into his shield, each of their smaller front limbs not seeming to get through.

Slowly Liam's arm began to tire as the two unrelenting beasts continued on, each one haphazardly throwing their legs at him like a storm. A sharp pain came from the boy's left leg as one of their limbs struck true.

Roughly shoving the Daedra off, Liam suppressed a growl. The boy's eyes angrily glared at the two as he thought _What in the hell is up with these things? They're just throwing themselves at me like animals!_

Time continued to tick by with each side throwing blows at each other with little to no effect.

Liam seemed to be dealing most of the damage, having a larger size and an adequate weapon to his advantage. Small pieces of the beasts looked to be crumpled against their bodies with one even having a broken leg.

The spiderlings only ever achieved a few glancing blows as they kept trying to get around Liam's shield. Dripping from the limbs Liam could feel _something _splash into his wounds, but it did not seem to take any real effect.

With each passing second, Liam kept slowly backing away, and the little spiders looked more and more worried. Their faces started to fill with desperation; confused the boy tilted his head before it suddenly clicked.

_That's right, they're summons! _Thought Liam as he clumsily blocked another leg pushing it to the side.

The vampire raised his club high going in for another swing, only to catch nothing but air. Every time Liam would try and finish off one of the beasts it expertly dodged, jumping through the air. A little bit of anger burned in Liam's chest at the infuriating enemies.

"They've got what, less than a minute...then they'll pop," said Liam as he tried to monitor how much Magicka their summoner had lent them.

Running through the Daedra's bodies was the same bluish energy, seeming to be mainly held near their bodies' surface. Liam slammed his club into another one of the spiderlings' legs, and he could feel the amount of available Magicka within the beast drop drastically.

Feeling more burning wounds pile upon his face and lower body Liam seethed, "Why won't you just die already!"

More green and yellow puss shot through the air with Liam slamming his shield into the more injured spiderling. Looking over Liam could see the little fiend stumble as he raised his shield up again this time pushing the arm holding his mace behind.

Celestial bronze met darkened chitin as four loud bangs echoed through the surrounding area. Liam let out a raging yell, hammering his shield into the spiderling over and over again until a familiar snapping noise cut into his ears.

A murderous look crossed onto Liam's cut-up face as he turned to the last Daedra, getting ready to finish the fight. His opponent seemed to look on the edge as it lunged forward in a desperate attempt to further harm the boy.

As the beast's sharpened leg rebounded off of Liam's shield, he let a cruel smile build on his face.

Bloody puss sprayed through the air as Liam brought his club overhead, hitting the Daedra directly in its human torso. Surprising the boy, the creature didn't seem to mind as it let out one final, almost victorious, hiss.

Another crack rang out in the road with the creature fading back into Oblivion. A wave of blinding pain ran up Liam's leg as he looked down, adrenaline fading.

The power behind Liam's eyes faded a bit as the grisly sight of his newly opened knee became apparent. It looked like the little creature left him a gift.

The boy's knee had a large gory hole sticking through it's front and, from what he could see at least, all the way through the back. As loud thunderous clinking noises ebbed ever closer, he collapsed to one knee with tears building in his eyes.

The pain seemed to flow even further up his spine as Liam looked at the wound. It felt like someone was slowly sticking in acid-covered needles beneath his skin which traveled up his body in waves. Reeling to the floor the boy let out a loud cry.

A few small globules of blood leaked from the open wound before it was quickly staunched.

Without any real input of his own, the vampire's body began work to heal itself. Almost immediately small tendrils of blood reached out into the wound covering it as the hole slowly began to heal. If Liam's mind were to stray he might have noticed the thirst in his throat start to steadily increase.

A large, almost metallic, leg pierced through snow and asphalt as the spiderlings' larger mother casually approached. In the distance, Liam could barely make out the sounds of melodic humming as his blurred vision began to clear.

"Oh, I did tell them to be _gentle. _Shame, the young ones were always over-excited when they hunt." commented the Spider Daedra all the while stalking closer. As the word gentle left her mouth, it upturned into a cruel smile with inwardly curved fangs poking out between her teeth.

Rolling over to his side, Liam tried to push himself up only to grimace as another wave of pain shot up from his knee. Looking down Liam barely got out, "W-Why in the hell isn't it healing!" (3)

Unlike any of Liam's quickly healed wounds from his earlier fights, this one appeared to regenerate at the speed of a small snail. Little tentacles of blood were wrapping around, mending into new flesh at a rate that didn't seem to quite match before. It was almost as if the ruby tendrils were moving through molasses.

Amused the much larger Daedra strode over to Liam before gibing, "Oh, didn't you know? The best time to hunt your kind is during the day. Especially if you're one of _hers_, none of that pesky blood-filled fun."

Liam absentmindedly noted the tone at which the Daedra spoke of her summoner as he tried to push himself up. With each try, another red-hot brand was shoved into his spine as he flopped down onto the ground. Gritting his teeth the boy started to crawl away.

A small trail began to be made in the snow following behind Liam as he pulled himself along, refusing to give up. Behind him, a hissing laugh brought itself from the Daedra's charcoal-colored lips.

Cruelly she pulled her hair behind one ear before saying, "Go on then, my mistress already gave me enough power to stay around for a while yet. Crawl little worm, and We'll play a game."

The spider woman's eyes continued to stare into Liam, akin to a cat watching a mouse. The boy himself kept pulling his body away, barely making it to the side of the road. Fear snowballed down his throat and into his stomach as the distant humming came closer with Liam now being able to make out the nursery rhyme Lamae was performing.

Desperate for an out, Liam pulled himself forward through the snow all the while letting out little whimpers of pain from his bloodied leg. The hole now had some semblance of lobster-red skin covering it, but Liam wasn't too sure about putting any real weight on it.

"Run little mouse! Stand tall and give me some fun." encouraged the Daedra from just a few feet behind the younger vampire. Her voice had a predatory tone, almost psychotic in the way that she seemed to enjoy his pain.

Ironically it reminded Liam a bit of himself, well when he was angry at least.

_G-Gotta get up...I have to move! _Roared Liam in his mind as he once again tried to push himself up onto his two feet.

Ignoring his leg, the boy rushed forward through the snow limping while putting as much of his weight as he could on his uninjured one. The newly formed tendons within his knee barely held up, ripping and tearing at the slightest touch, but it seemed to barely be enough.

Callously grinning all the while, the Spider Daedra stalked behind the boy following the path he left in the snow. She almost seemed lazy in her hunt as she casually walked, pushing each of her limbs forward in a methodical dance.

Shifting between thick trees, Liam hobbled forward cursing under his breath. Behind him was a trail of easily noticeable footprints broken through the thick snow. All the while he continued to frantically push forward while thinking of a way to get away from his pursuer.

_W-What am I gonna do...Shit! _Growled the vampire as he heard an audible pop come from within his knee. One of the poorly built tendons, having already been drawn taught, suddenly snapped. Almost immediately, Liam began to fall to the ground with his hands outstretched, hoping to break his fall.

In front of him was a small pile of brush filled with, what to Liam looked like, the leftover remains of some long-dead trees. The little pile of pine and cedar had a thick layer of snow atop it, gingerly blending in with the sickly green of the ancient pine.

Hearing the same methodical clicking from before, Liam pulled himself forward towards the heap of decaying wood. With a lackluster gasp, he finally succeeded pushing up one of the tree's boughs before roughly dragging himself underneath.

Liam, doing his best to slow his breaths, began to wait hoping she'd pass him by. Slowly but surely, the boy became silent as the almost metallic clinking got louder and louder in his ears. Peaking from between the trees, Liam's eyes centered in on the Spider Daedra standing just a few feet away.

With a hitched breath, the boy could see her eyes narrowly zero in on the pile of brush where his footprints led before the creature jeered, "Oh, come on; you could do better than that."

Unceremoniously, Liam closed his eyes, all the while constantly praying she wouldn't see him. If Liam's heart could beat, it would be rumbling around in his chest. The lead ball within his stomach grew even heavier as the boy focused on one thing, one wish.

To hide.

Something ingrained within most varieties of vampires started to kick in as Liam felt a slight drain on his meager Magicka pool. With his eyes opening in fear, he could feel the Magicka pulling itself outwards slowly covering him like a thin film.

The summon slowly leaned down, and Liam could hear her roughly gripping one of the large trees covering him. Two of the kid's eyes stared up into the maw of what he thought would be his death as the creature roughly pulled up his cover.

Rotted cedar flew through the air as the Spider Daedra exclaimed, "Finally found you...little mouse?"

The words seemed to die in her throat as the psychotic grin painted on her lips fell to the ground. Confused, she turned her head around the forest looking for any sign of the boy. Meanwhile, Liam held his breath just below her, shaking slightly at the sight of the armored carapace just a few feet above him.

The monster's bewildered look quickly changed to hot fury as she called out, "Oh so you do know how to play! Well let's play then; entertain me."

Instantly Liam felt some relief; the Daedra pulled back, her legs clicking and chattering against each other. Looking from where he laid Liam could see the summon angrily stomp around, furious eyes lapping up their surroundings trying to find any hint of where he might be.

Slowly bringing a single hand up in front of his face, the young vampire's eyes went wide. Peering into what to Liam appeared to be open-air, the boy thought _I...I'm invisible? (4)_

More of his magicka drained as he looked down at the rest of his body in disbelief. Matching the phantom limb, Liam's entire figure seemed to be obscured to the world. Amazed, the boy stared on at the sight or rather the lack thereof.

Elsewhere, a vampiric woman continued to daintily walk through the snow, hoping to get another taste of her brood's scent. The humming stopped as she thought _Or maybe just a little bite; it wouldn't hurt._

**AN: **First off sorry for this chapter being a day late for those of you who check my profile to see how far I'm in on the chapters. The boys wanted to try out the new (well newish) GTA update as it went free on steam, so I pushed off finishing up the chapter till Friday.

This chapter reintroduced Lamae Bal (Well if you don't count the interlude), all the while forcing Liam to act and grow while trying to escape one of his fears. I'm trying to set her up as a sort of trauma Liam will have to eventually overcome, but for right now I don't see him being up to the task.

Also, as some people have asked me about in DMs, I wrote in a few scenes better explaining just what Liam's version of vampirism actually does. I had someone ask about it, so I decided to clarify some stuff. Go ahead and look at the annotations if you want to know more.

Other than that though there's nothing specific that I need to mention story development-wise, so let's move onto the annotations

(1) Just in general, summoning any type of Daedra is extremely dangerous. Now if you were to couple that with trying to force a normal Daedra, say a churl or even a lord for those more experienced, into the form of a bound weapon it would be much more dangerous.

That's how I'm balancing the mystic bindings or similar versions of the skill. Essentially you're trying to get more out of the basic bound weapons, which you can do, but you have to use a more powerful Daedra to do it as the lesser ones just won't hold up. We'll see in the future if Liam is up to the task. If one were to ever fail at controlling their summon it almost always tries to kill the summoner and return to Oblivion.

(2) Spider Daedra are mostly seen in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Power-wise, they are pretty high up there being able to summon three small spiderlings to assist them in battle. They are able to spit poison through the air (seen in the Liam v spiderlings section of this chapter) as well as use magic. The Daedra also have some minor melee abilities being able to use the legs and their human bodies to attack.

To be honest, in a straight-up fight with this beast Liam would have little to no chance at winning. In both experience and power, he's outclassed. Personality-wise the creatures are described as fierce and irrational as well as being the unruly servants of Mephala.

(3) The reason Liam was not able to heal here is because of his version of vampirism. As many of you have probably guessed from either looking it up or otherwise his version of vampirism is Noxiphilic Sanguivoria. It comes without a lot of the main weakness of what you'd expect a vampire to fear while still having a major downside.

Sunlight doesn't particularly hurt those inflicted with this disease. However, during the day they lose a lot of their power. Enhanced reflexes, regeneration, strength. During the day all of these are gone until night begins to fall once more. To an extent, Liam would be better than the average human during the day but not by a lot and definitely not enough to stand up against such a strong Daedra. Most other varieties of vampires wouldn't be able to stand to be in the sunlight for very long let along bask in it with their uncovered skin.

(4) Once again this is a basic ability of being a vampire coming into play. Most, if not all, versions of vampires have some ability to turn invisible.

Noxiphilic Sanguivoria in specific, from what I've found online while researching at least, leans heavily towards this ability. Where a lot of accounts in books from the Elder Scrolls describe those afflicted being more skilled at using the ability when compared with other breeds of vampires.

Woah, those were some big ass annotations. Usually, they're not so huge, but there was a lot of lore stuff described here that so I thought I'd give the background to for those who care. Overall it's not needed to enjoy or understand my story, but it does give you some context.

I've got nothing else for you today. Like always I'm open to any and all criticism so if you've got some feel free to tell me. I'm planning to start the next chapter on Monday so see you in a couple of days!

~ciao


	16. A Night to Remember

**Edit: **Just read it through a few times and fixed some minor errors. I also added in a few lines improving clarity on who is being described

**AN: **How's it going everybody? Doing alright with the quarantine and whatnot? It's about that time again so let's keep moving folks. I've got no new guest reviews today for you all so let's just jump into

it!

Oh, one quick thing before we begin. After looking into it some more I decided to go ahead and start co-posting this story onto Space-battles. You can find it with the same name, by me, and with my profile picture. It's in the creative writing section.

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line Skip-

A Night to Remember

Just a short walk away from where Liam was hiding in the snow, prodded along a man with a cherry red nose and large beaming smile. Out in front of him stood the only bar in the entire town of Bexley. The tourist trapped abode was quite quiet, but for the man, he supposed it was just because winter had just hit.

Slowly the merrymaker stumbled into the bar, already inebriated from adventures long past. The dinky building's door swung open to reveal another person, this one a woman. She angrily looked over to the man while putting down a small rag.

"Didn't you see the sign? The place is closed till three." asked the bartender while still stocking up her shelves. At first, the man didn't seem to hear her, but as he lumbered his way up to the bar, he finally responded.

His clothes were of some thin black cloth, wrapping around his face and body. They seemed to be some type of robes. Giving out a loud snort the drunkard replied, "Oh, I did, just don't care. Hey you look you know how to have some fun, so how about it?"

Slowly the man brought his hands out in a deliberately gaudy bow before continuing on with, "Want to go revel for a bit? I'll watch the place for ya and you get to go out and have some fun!"

The bartender seemed to look a bit confused at the man's antics before fiercely retorting, "I don't even know your name! Now I'd appreciate it if you'd kindly-"

He roughly pulled down his black hood revealing his features to the woman. Compared to his light peach skin the man's reddened cheeks and nose stuck out like a sore thumb. With a large smile on his face, the drunkard quickly snapped his fingers.

"Just call me Sam; nice to meet you. Go on and enjoy yourself now. Who knows, where you're going they just might pull that stick out of your ass, or maybe even put one in it! Well, if you're into that." interrupted the reveler as a bright purple flash pushed itself out from within the bar.

As the light faded the bartender was nowhere to be seen, and Sam was still standing in front of the bar with a smile on his face. Trying to keep on his feet he pulled around the corner of the bar, roughly pushing down the divider that blocked him.

"Hmm...now when was he supposed to get here again?" absentmindedly questioned the man while roughly pulling out a large bottle of vodka from underneath the bar. His voice seemed to quickly gain clarity, despite him being in a drunken stupor.

Giving a quick glance to the rising sun outside the bar, Sam pulled the stopper out of the bottle while grumbling, "Ah, I'm a bit too earlier then, well crap. Hmmm...what to do now?"

Slowly the bottle of fermented potatoes and water was brought to his lips as the man took a swig. A sweet sigh echoed within the bar before, the bottom of the bottle was turned up towards the ceiling. After a solid ten seconds of gulping, Sam slammed the bottle back on the counter with a burp.

"Well I got a bar to drink; it wouldn't be the first time. That chick has got to have some wine around here _somewhere_." Sam said, all the while clumsily fumbling around beneath the bar pulling out any spirits and liquors left in stock.

Finding a rather old bottle of brandy, the man's smile grew a few inches wider. A loud and wet pop reverberated off the walls before a bottle met his lips. His cousin had better get there fast; it always was more fun to drink with more people.

Well, Sam would have something to do for a little bit at least.

-Outside Bexley with Liam-

All it took for Liam to know the Spider Daedra was gone was the snap-hiss usually associated with summoning hitting his ears. A little apprehensive from where he laid against the ground, he turned his eyes around frantically searching for any sign of danger.

After giving furtive glances about the woods, hoping to the skies above that damnable woman would leave him be, Liam looked down at his knee to assess the damage. Still, the wound was a grisly sight.

On his right leg, there was a, surprisingly, not bloodied hole through which Liam could see through. Even now he could feel something beneath the skin _bulging _in and out at a rapid pace. It was almost as if the wound was moving of its own accord.

Bright red, meaty skin met his eyes as he pulled on the clothing's fabric to get a better view. A little bit of confusion popped up on Liam's face as he thought _Besides all the redness, it looks fine?_

Giving it a light touch the vampire hissed, "Not fine. Not fine!"

His voice came out a garbled whisper as Liam quickly tried to stop himself from letting out a whimper of pain. As soon as his pointer finger touched the discolored skin, it burst letting out cold blood that dribbled down his shin. It seemed that whatever his healing abilities were doing was superficial at best.

_What do I do? S-She's still out there..._pondered the boy while slowly pushing himself up against the remaining tree in his brush pile. All in all the pine needles felt scratchy, but it still felt better than laying on the ground.

Even now he could still feel his reserves being drained, the meager pool of magicka Liam had built up back in Camp Half-blood was quickly drying up. After thinking back to how he could easily feel both of the only two mages Liam had seen the boy decided to not try and gather more. Who knows if she would be able to sense him doing it?

Fear continued to amass itself within his stomach with Liam still trying to find a way to escape. His mind quickly brought itself towards the idea of crawling away, but the memory of Lamae's unholy lullaby made him think otherwise.

_What then...do I just wait for it to heal? _He thought with a worried look on his face. It was only a matter of time before his invisibility ran out of juice and with Lamae still stalking the woods trying to flee was a risky gamble.

The vampire could feel the sickly contortions continue, slowly rebuilding his knee. His healing was still there, but unlike before it felt slowed like his blood was trying to move through molasses. It felt nothing like when he fought in the night.

A look of realization sprung up as Liam whispered, "Wait a minute...A vampire in the night; how did I not think of that before?"

It all made sense; in the dark Liam felt strong, brave even, but when the light of day warmed his skin he just felt like a normal human again. The thirst was still there and a little bit of his supernatural strength, but almost nothing else.

In the back of his mind, Liam heard what sounded like a low huff of air before Molag Bal chided, **Took you long enough.**

A little peeved at the remark Liam responded, _How in the hell was I supposed to know? It's not like I got a manual when she bit me. If you're in a talkative mood why don't you tell me a way out of this mess?_

**Magicka, gather it around the wound. Leave this place before nightfall; if not you shall surely be caught.** Suggested the voice in a somewhat thoughtful tone. However, despite the more tactful approach, it came out like an order pushing Liam along. (1)

As his mind went quiet the boy drew back the magicka from his skin cutting off the drain, hopefully nothing would be around to see him. With deliberate effort, he demanded that the tricky substance start to travel down his body and towards the wound.

It took a bit of meandering but after firmly asserting his will Liam's magicka snaked down his leg before wrapping around the wound. The hole lapped up the ethereal essence like a drowning man before the same convulsions from before started to rapidly increase.

Not having to worry about a giant monster chasing after him Liam could actually pay attention to his body. With his ever diminishing magicka pool, he could something else begin to exponentially increase. At first, he felt parched.

The reddened skin began to speedily turn back towards its normal pale-white complexion. Underneath the vampire's tendons regrew, connecting the bottom part of Liam's leg with the top. Following soon after, Liam could feel a dull pain of what he assumed to be his bone pushing its way back up from where it was blown out.

Feeling almost like a fish out of water Liam reached for his throat. Instinctively fangs popped out of his mouth as a burning hunger sat within his stomach. A burning sensation wasn't even enough to describe the thirst.

The boy shot to his feet as Liam's vision flashed. Similar to the symptoms of anemia, he could see the world sway as he stood up. An uncanny dryness lit up the vampire's entire mouth as Liam just barely croaked out, "W-What happened?"

**Oh yes, I forgot. Blood is required for most _vampiric _abilities. Go and feed boy, before you turn feral. **Explained the Prince of Domination in an almost mirthful voice. It sounded like it was amused at his pain, amused at his suffering. (2)

"S-Screw you!" growled Liam finally straightening himself out. It was always something with that..that thing. The voice always wanted something in return, never truly helping him while also never truly being against him.

To Liam at least, it was more than infuriating, but the voice was all he had.

Liam could still remember it talking in between the flashes of red when he fought, no _killed _Fletcher. It called him its kin, one of its own. A large part of the boy was disgusted with it, but a small part of him was grateful. It was better than being alone.

He could remember it that day, pushing him into a blood-filled frenzy with Liam only barely able to control his own actions. The boy knew who he was from the very way it talked alone. It was all too similar to a certain Prince's description inside Liam's black-covered book.

Maybe he really was a demi-god...well, if you would call the Princes gods.

From what he read, Liam really couldn't say. It was tempting to just ask the thing, but every time he thought about it the boy could feel it there silently waiting, filled with disturbing anticipation. If the...thing really was one of his parents that still didn't explain why his voice was in Liam's head.

Trying to ignore the desert that built itself within the back of his throat Liam started to absentmindedly walk forward, hoping to get away as far away as he could from Lamae. Heading out towards the still-rising sun, he continued to walk pushing the thirst to the back of his mind.

In the end, it wouldn't do much.

-On the Outskirts of Bexley-

As Liam got used to his new knee not falling out from underneath him, he absentmindedly scratched at his throat. Every once in a while, the vampire thought he saw someone out of the corner of his eye. His constantly glowing orbs would be brought around a hunter-like instinct kicking in as he searched.

Slowly, Liam's more cognitive thoughts began to flee from his blood-starved state after about an hour of trudging through the snow. To any who could see him, they would definitely think that the boy was not alright.

His skin was as pale as a ghost, while he was slightly hunched over almost leaning down towards the ground in an unnatural fashion. The vampire's teeth were constantly bared with the two three-inch-long fangs being the most noticeable thing on Liam's face.

To those who would dare to approach the almost feral looking boy, they would notice next his eyes. Each of the usually cerulean orbs were glowering red while across his face small veins leading back to his eyes were turning a matching crimson.

The boy was letting out long, drawn-out breaths which each step he took. Underneath him, Liam's feet were stumbling about barely able to keep his body upright as he walked. The only true thing that was on the blood-starved vampire's mind was his need to feed.

Liam didn't even react to the snowstorm blowing in overhead as he kept following the road. In the distance, the small woodland town of Bexley came into the vampire's view as he hurriedly slinked along noticeably wobbling with each step.

The vampire's eyes were instinctively drawn towards the buildings, searching and hoping for something to satiate his desiccated throat. A small yellow light within what looked like a long wooden bar was the first to catch Liam's attention.

Outside there were few cars with what resembled a line for frequent motorcyclists to park their machines as well. Inside the building, the vampire could see a single small light from within the front door. Loud thunderous footsteps broke out within the almost barren town as Liam sprinted towards the door.

Not saying a word as he reached the door, Liam pushed into it. Not even thinking to reach for the handle, the vampire bashed his hand into the door; a loud crunch met his ears as the door opened to reveal what looked like a small-time bar.

Directly in front of him, a rather unassuming man sat behind the bar with a large row of empty liquor bottles surrounding him. Stepping in the vampire's nose subconsciously crunched up as a wave of alcoholic stench hit his nostrils.

"Well come on in! I was expecting you a bit later but oh well. Hmmm..." began the man before suddenly stopping his spiel. As the small hum came from his throat Sam looked over at the boy in front of him before snapping his fingers.

All of a sudden the delirious hunger pervading within Liam's mind was brought to a knee as the boy came back to himself. Wide-eyed he looked around the room before centering in on the man in front of him. Quietly, Liam said, "W-What...where. Where am I?"

The other person in the room gave him a wave then replied, "Oh you're in the best bar in Long Island. The place started as a cult, but that's beside the point. Tell me cousin, how have you been?"

Liam's face showed rampant confusion as he thought _Cousin? _

The boy had never seen the man in front of him in his entire life. The only cousins Liam could really remember were some of his mother's family from down South. He didn't really get to see much of his family beyond that though. Carter's side was either too tied up in work, or too dead to really talk.

"Y-You're not...Who are you?" Liam stuttered all the while intensely staring at the man. The drunkard appeared normal, _too _normal for anything that had recently happened to the boy. Some might call it being paranoid, but Liam was at the point now where he expected the unexpected. He'd rather be paranoid than dead.

Sam gave the boy a bright smile as he finished off the bottle of Brandy in his left hand throwing it down to join the large pile of empty glassware in front of him. The virtual mound of empty bottles shifted a bit before falling off the bar and to the ground.

"Well crap." commented the man, giving a look at the mix of broken glass and liquor.

Keeping a firm distance from the unnatural drunkard, Liam gave a look around the place to see if he could figure out where he was. To the boy at least, the building appeared to be just a normal bar with a few small windows on its outer walls. The only thing that really stuck out to him was the wooden front door that was blown off one of its hinges.

_Wonder what did that? _Pondered Liam as he turned his eyes back towards Sam.

The man stumbled around for a bit behind the counter before sticking one of his hands beneath it. If Liam were to be more observant he would have seen a slight purple glow coming from below as Sam lifted up a large blue-ish bottle.

The container looked old and worn with a small stout end. There was no label on it from what Liam could see and the only other noticeable feature on the thing was the old piece of cork roughly stuck in its end.

"I came to apologize; I missed your birthday. Can you believe it?" started the man before childishly grumbling about some absurd prank he planned that the damned vampire messed up.

Liam's ears perked up at the mentioning of a vampire; did this man know something about Lamae, about that night? The prospect alone was intriguing enough for the boy, but the danger involved with it could be risky.

Who knows? He could just be another monster looking to sink his fangs or claws within his neck.

"S-So you know then?" questioned Liam in a slightly nervous tone. Despite his real reservations about the unknown man he seemed to be non-threatening so far. Silently, within his head, Liam was hoping he'd stay like that.

Sam placed the bottle on the table before pulling out two rather large looking tankards from beneath the bar. The two cups let out a harmonious chime as the metal clanged against the wooden counter-top.

"What that you're old Stone-Fire's scion? Or that you're a vampire?" deadpanned the man as he lightly pulled the cork from the bottle's top.

**Don't speak my name, you petulant swine! **Seethed the voice from Liam's mind. Surprisingly it sounded a bit...nervous? The Prince's voice came out like it was waiting for something to happen, something it definitely wouldn't like.

"Oh, just because you're in his head doesn't mean I can't hear you Molag. Just let me have my fun and I'll be on my way; I do it for all of our kin at some point." huffed Sam while joyfully pouring out the wine.

As the liquid lapped around within their cups, Liam's nose perked up. A smell almost like the honey from before hit the boy's nostrils, but it came with a bit more flavor. It had a hint of something...scaly? Liam couldn't tell; the odor could almost be compared to alligator jerky he had eaten before at a fair his father took him to.

"Oh, but where are my manners? For now, you may call me Sam, Sam Guevenne." said the man as he topped off the two drinks. Liam could see him slowly bring one of his arms up and give a light bow before sitting down at a stool on the bartender's side of the table.

Still staring on at him, Liam finally questioned, "Is that blood? A-And how in the hell can you hear that voice?"

The other man put a finger up to his smiling lips before bringing it up into the air. Lightly Sam pushed one of the cups to the other side of the bar before pointing down at a small stool in front of him.

"Don't worry about it, come on and take a seat. We'll play a game." suggested the drunkard with a disarming smile. The man didn't seem the least bit threatening if anything he appeared to be helpful, fun even.

Slowly as the parched dryness came back into Liam's throat he walked forward, ignoring a part of him that screamed something was wrong. Sam seemed nice enough, despite knowing Liam was a vampire. The man's smile was almost infectious as Liam sat down on his own stool.

_What did he say about Molag Bal...who cares? This looks like fun! _Thought Liam with a growing grin on his face. The smile looked unnatural when coupled with the two large fangs peaking out and the blood-red eyes a few inches above them.

Laying both of his hands on the bar Liam whooped, "I'm game! What are we playing?"

Sam picked up the cup on his side of the table before replying with, "A drinking game of course! We're going to put some hair on your chest. We'll keep going back and forth till one of gives in. Well, if you want to play."

Sam's voice entered Liam's ear like an oily snake slowly bringing forth ideas that the boy would never take part in if he was in his right mind. It wasn't like the Empousa's or Lamae's compulsion but instead something like a small suggestion.

Where its power lies is when the listener already has a want to do what Sam commands. A blood-starved vampire was as easy to bend to his will as a newly born babe. Especially when he had the cure to that thirst only a foot in front of him.

Still carrying the same abnormal smile Liam quietly nodded his head. Weirdly the boy thought he could take on the world right now; He'd win for sure! Slowly he moved his hand towards the cup in front of him.

"This here is Argonian Bloodwine; it's one of my ah, _special _brews. Well? Down the hatch." spouted the man before quickly bringing the cup to his lips, downing the entire thing. Apprehensively Liam picked up his own with the intoxicating smell getting stronger by the second. (3)

Surprisingly, as the bloodwine met the vampire's lips he noticed that it tasted like some offshoot of apple cider. The liquid burnt as it went down, sending pleasant tingles of heat down to Liam's toes. Finishing off the tankard, Liam slammed his cup down on the table with an audible cough.

"So what do ya think, good stuff huh?" asked Sam as he started to pour some more of the bottle into the cups, making sure not to spill a single drop.

Despite it being his first time having anything alcoholic, Liam didn't feel much of anything. There was a pleasant heat building within his belly, but other than that he was fine. With his pale complexion hiding what would surely be rose-touched skin, the vampire replied, "It tastes like apple cider; I think I like it. Say how are you my cousin?"

The older man appeared to be enjoying himself as he brought one hand over and ruffled Liam's hair. The boy started to move away but decided to just let Sam go ahead; He hadn't hurt him so far.

As soon as the hand touched Liam's charcoal-colored locks Sam said, "Oh, I'm from your father's side of the family. Heard you recently got introduced to the fun side of life, so I thought I'd come to say hi."

As the man was talking Liam could feel the heat slowly spread upwards and start to swirl around in his face. The drought-like thirst from before was gone, replacing it was a slight sense of euphoria. The boy felt unnaturally happy, almost giddy even.

"Oh so're you're part of Carter's side?" slurred Liam as he shakily grabbed the newly filled cup in front of him. The liquid courage was topped off with a little bit of froth near its top. The smell of honey still pervaded Liam's nose, giving him small whiffs of paradise.

The rosily drunk Sam lifted his cup high into the air, completely draining the tankard in seconds. A small ding rang out as he pushed it back onto the table then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Liam followed soon after.

"Nope! I'm one of Mr. scheme lords brothers...well technically. Wait doesn't that make me your uncle? Either way, I thought I'd bring a little merriment to ya. You're going to need it." explained Sam topping off both of their cups once again, simultaneously emptying out the bottle of wine.

"Bu why wold I need merrmant?" garbled the boy while swaying his head back in forth. Liam's eyes had already turned back to their normal chocolate brown while the fangs on his teeth were back in place under his lips.

"Cousin everyone needs a little fun in their life, some more than others. Don't worry about it, just enjoy the now!" beamed the reveler while finishing off his last cup of wine. Just like each other drink the man took it didn't seem to affect him more than he already was, going down without much trouble at all.

With swaying vision Liam brought his tankard to his lips, lightly sipping at the drink till there was no more. The cup fell from his hand, rolling off the bar and onto the bottle covered floor.

Sam looked over with a mischievous grin then said, "Well cousin it looks like this place is all out. Wanna go out for a bit and spread some fun? I know a place where there's a whole ocean of this stuff, perfect for a vampire like you!"

Liam let out a small giggle while nodding his head. The heat had spread throughout his entire body by this point, lowering any inhibitions he had about partying with the man to zero. Somewhere in between, he thought he heard Molag Bal's voice talking to him, but Liam couldn't make it out.

And why would he want to? That Prince was always such a sourpuss.

Roughly pushing himself out of his chair Liam slurred, "Surb let's gro!"

The other man more widely known as the Daedric Prince of Debauchery replied, "Ha, I'll make a reveler out of you yet!"

-Throughout the United States, Countries Abroad, and Locations Unknown-

The rest of that night, for Liam at least would be mostly a blur. Sparsely lit colors and locations flashed by all the while people and _things _cheered him on. The boy and Sam Guevenne went about spreading merriment through a host of small pranks and parties, some more harmful than others.

Their first stop was a small place in Russia, where Sanguine introduced Liam to what he liked to call _abstract _art.

Painted on a large government building was what looked to be the sloppy rendition of a cartoon bat next to a large smiley face. Just below it was a crudely drawn stick figure. The face was littered with smaller amounts of spray paint, detailing other small pictures made by Liam and Sam in their new art piece. The next morning news would be abuzz about the Kremlin stick figure vandals, spreading cheer through beer.

The next stop of the night introduced Liam to something both of his parents would hate if they knew about it. The two went bar crawling, or as it colloquially referred to in the place they went, pub hoping.

The two would go into random pubs, or small bars, drink themselves to death then get into large rowdy fights. It pulled on a certain instinct ordained into Liam since birth and for him, it was just way too much fun even if a couple of people ended up broken and bruised at the end of it.

Their third place of residence was six hundred floors above the Empire State Building.

The two arrived drunkenly crashing an already ongoing party with the Daedric Prince making sure they could slip into the crowd perfectly. After Sanguine had a quick stint with a minor god the two quickly fled the scene with the Prince opening up a glowing purple portal, through which both jumped. The morning after a bounty would be put out by a whole slew of minor gods searching for two men only known because of one's sexual escapades and the other's need to bite all the guests.

At the end of that little tirade, Liam would learn two things, Nymph blood tastes like fruit and never, ever to ask a goddess about her age.

Their second to last stop would be the place the drunkard supreme promised, a place with a literal ocean of bloodwine for Liam to drink. The small realm, within a larger myriad, was filled to the brim with hundreds of unending pools of differently flavored blood, each smelling like heaven itself to the boy.

Each one of the bodies of fermented blood was a new taste to explore. In his drunken state, Liam didn't even notice as Sam went through with a golden goblet filling it up as the two went around taking a bit from each pool. The boy didn't even notice when the man's skin turned a darkened red with two horns jutting from his head. He didn't notice the wayfarer's coming to join them as they drank the night away. He didn't notice the ensemble of other Daedra and worshipers cheering the two on as they started another contest to see who could drink the most.

At some point during the night, Liam asked to go out and try something else; Sanguine happily complied. After saying hello to a man with a staff made of hewn wood and a can of Pepsi in his hand the two ran off heading to their last little adventure. Just before the two left, Liam noticed the man distinctively smelled of grapes.

The last stop Liam would make that night would be in Las Vegas, inside a casino filled to the brim with flashing lights and glorious prizes. Time seemed to blur for the boy again as he went around sampling a myriad of different games, all the while trying out some of the casino's local delicacies, little pink flowers that tasted like candy.

Eventually, after an indeterminable amount of time for the boy, Liam woke lying face down on a shaggy carpet with the smell of booze covering him. Almost immediately a pounding came from his head as he let out a low groan.

Rudely drawing Liam out of his stupor was a young female voice that exclaimed, "Up! Get up, you drunken buffoon. You ruined everything!"

Slowly drawing himself to his feet Liam swiveled his head around looking for the source of the noise. Sitting on a nearby bed was a girl that looked to be his age; she had platinum-blonde hair that dropped just below her shoulders. Giving on odd contrast to the girl's hair was her stormy gray eyes, filled with fury.

Trying to ignore the pounding in his head Liam muttered, "What the hell happened last night?"

**AN: **Well that's a wrap folks. I tried my best to lighten this chapter up some while putting in one of my favorite Daedric Princes. A little credit to the idea goes to one of my reviewers who talked about him helping out Mr. D. Unfortunately I couldn't see a way to really put him in without some major plot developments that I couldn't just fit in one chapter alone. If you look near the end you can see a reference to his counterpart, Bacchus.

I thought this chapter would be more fun than just seeing Liam travel for a while. It also sets up some stuff for me to highlight more of the PJO world and characters. Overall, for those who care, there is a lot of stuff hinted at in this chapter through the dialogue about where the plot is going. It's not enough to draw conclusions or anything, but it does drop some intrigue.

Let's move onto the annotations.

(1) Even though Liam would be more powerful in the night so would Lamae, and most likely to a much larger extent. I thought I'd clarify my reasoning a bit as to why that warning was necessary.

(2) I'm trying to make Molag Bal always speak in half-truths. Never truly lying, but not telling Liam all the information about what's going on. In general, you see this where he constantly deceives his followers or doesn't tell them about the consequences of certain actions. Ultimately this usually ends up as a Monkey's paw with his followers dying or worse. With Liam, it just helps to show even though Molag Bal helps the Prince is not "nice."

In general, this is how I'm also balancing vampiric abilities. In the games, powers are usually able to be used once a day at no cost, or they are just a passive. Overall lore-wise I didn't find a definitive answer to what I should do about this, so I balanced it by having it make the vampire's hunger grow as they use their abilities. Well that and the use of magicka with some of them, even if it is in minor amounts.

Also, a more skilled vampire would be able to do more and more effectively used vampiric abilities than most fledglings, that's a given. I'm trying to find a good balance between "gamey" stuff and how I would see it working in real life.

(3) Liam has a reason for acting like this. It may seem a bit unnatural for him, but it will be cleared up at some point. I'm sure a lot of those more lore inclined would be able to guess why he's acting like this.

I've got nothing else for you today folks! Like always I'm open to any and all criticism so go ahead and hit me with it if you've got some. Other than that though I'm planning to start the next chapter on Friday or Saturday so see you then!

~ciao


	17. The Morning After

**Edit: ***Checks email* *reads title* God fucking dammit. I went through and fixed a couple of minor spelling errors and renamed the title to the correct one. The Moring After chapter will have to wait till later...

**AN: **Sup! It's Friday night for me and it's that time again. We're going to be pushing onward with Liam's little adventure, this time with a hangover that could kill a god. I've got no new guest reviews for ya today so let's just jump into it!

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line Skip-

The Morning After

Liam's breath came out in fast spurts. In his mouth, the boy could only taste the remnants of booze and something he couldn't quite place. It felt like he had not brushed his teeth for a week. Coupling all that with a pounding headache and an annoying girl yelling at him when he first woke up left Liam more than just a bit peeved.

The boy's mind raced as he tried to remember what happened last not to no effect. Liam could remember coming into the bar and meeting Sam then it all just went blank. It was like there was a large hole in the film that made up Liam's memory, a complete blank spot after he took his first drink.

_Why in the hell did I drink it in the first place? _Thought Liam while silently scolding himself. It just didn't make sense, why in Oblivion would he join in on a drinking contest with some stranger? Roughly the boy pushed himself off the shaggy carpet with a low groan.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" reminded a squeaky female still filled with anger. Looking over the boy could see her pacing back and forth by the room's only bed.

She was wearing cut off jeans that ended just above her knees, wrapped around the girl's chest was a familiar orange t-shirt. Unlike Liam's own, the article of clothing was in much better condition with the Camp Half-blood logo still easily visible. Well, that and it didn't have all the holes in it either.

A little bit of worry started to creep up in the vampire's throat as he faced her, still sitting on the ground. The Camper was obviously from Athena's cabin; she had long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and the cabin's telltale stormy-gray eyes. Her young face was marred with a low scowl.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? You ruined my game!" growled the girl, angrily glaring into Liam. Her voice came to the boy like a wake-up call, quickly bringing him out of his hangover induced stupor.

Quickly trying to think up something to say, Liam replied, "Game? W-What game?"

The Daughter of Athena gave him another scalding look that seemed to convey the question, "Are you serious?" before deeming him with a response. Letting out a low sigh she said, "The best game here! And you came along to ruin it."

She was clenching her fists with a barely held back fury that seemed a bit unnatural. Something built upon the tip of the girl's tongue before she seethed, "You just had to bite the proctor didn't you?"

_I did what? _Pondered the vampire in disbelief. As the words left her mouth Liam could feel that nervousness increase even more, slowly eating away at him like a pestilent wound. If he was out of it enough to bite someone then who knows what else he could have done?

"I-I don't know what to say here...Just where are we?" deflected the boy as his eyes explored the room they were in. The place was surprisingly small for its inside furnishings with a single king-sized bed near its back. The only other identifying feature was an open door leading to what Liam assumed to be the restroom and one more completely closed on the opposite side.

Showing some willingness to forgive the boy for his unknown slight she said, "You did seem a bit out of it..." The girl's voice seemed to quiet down as she put one finger on her lips before raising it up. The anger from before faded slightly as she got up and walked to the door.

"Just...just don't do it again! I don't want to have to wait for them to get a new proctor for the game again." grumbled the female camper as she approached the single door, leading out toward somewhere unknown. Liam almost immediately took note of the way her emotions flipped on a pin. She was acting like his mother at _that _time of the month; involuntarily, Liam shivered at the thought.

Her fury turned docile as the door opened up.

"Wait a minute, who are you?" quickly inquired Liam as the girl continued to rush out. He was hoping for her to say something to him at least. She seemed to be a bit out of it, ignoring the boy's words while ranting on about some game.

The blonde-haired girl looked over her shoulder, squinting in the vampire's direction. Her stormy eyes came into focus before she answered, "Oh, my name's Annabeth. Now, leave me alone; I got a game to beat."

Saying her part Annabeth hurriedly closed the room's main door, leaving Liam alone inside. The boy's mind reeled a bit at the name. Memories of Chiron's speech came back as he thought _Wasn't she one of the three on that quest?_

Well there was only one way to find out, but first Liam wanted to try and find his stuff. Quickly heading over to the bed, the boy found just that. Liam's bright-blue bag caught his eye, easily standing out from the shaggy brown carpet and red covered bed.

Pulling it up from where it was, laying on the ground, Liam noticed something. His bag appeared to be quite a bit heavier than before; it was also bulging quite a bit in a circular shape. Lightly tapping on it, the boy felt whatever it was inside was completely rigid, not moving an inch at his touch.

Laying the bag onto the nearby bed, Liam pulled on the container's main zipper. Following along the curve, Liam's backpack unzipped bringing the two lines of metal teeth apart. Inside he saw what looked to be his shield.

_Well I might as well. Let's just take a look. _Thought the boy before haphazardly dumping all of his supplies out on the bed.

The first thing to fall out was his shield with his club coming soon after. The wooden backed piece of armor had a few new modifications on it. The shield had what appeared to be large streaks of blackened metal that followed along where the Celestial-bronze bracing used to be. It crisscrossed in a large pattern; looking at it, Liam noticed a small rose engraved upon the metal, near its bottom.

Looking a bit closer, Liam could notice some small runes were carved into the black metal. They curved up and down the bracing, almost perfectly following the darkened black.

Taped to the shield was a small scrap of paper with an almost flowery handwriting covering it. Ignoring the rest for now, Liam picked up the piece of paper, hoping to find out what happened the night before.

_Hey, it's your uncle Sam here! Hope you had fun last night because I know I did. I wanted to do a bit more, but consider this your late birthday present. I wanted to give them to you myself but after you passed out in the lobby; I decided to let you get some sleep._

_I also put in an extra bottle of your favorite drink from last night in the bag too. Honeyed Bloodwine. It's a bit too sweet for my tastes, but you sure seemed to like it. Either way it will still make you as drunk as a skunk, so be careful...or don't! Whatever's more fun!_

_P.S. Try out some of your bound weapons on the gear. I had a few mages in the myriad suggest something. You'll like it, promise._

_P.S.S. If you ever want to have some fun again, summon me. Just check near the end of your purple book. I added in my personal number if you know what I mean._

As soon as the boy fully read the little note it suddenly burst into flames. A little distressed Liam dropped the note with it burning to ash before it even hit the floor. Quickly calming himself Liam looked down to see what else spilled out of his bag.

All in all it looked like he still had all of his original supplies. There was the same sleeping bag from before tidily rolled up in a small bag, his toiletries (A toothbrush and toothpaste), the two different books, and his club. Although the club now looked like a mace.

Similar to the black metal covering parts of Liam's shield, his club had large black spike jutting up from where the celestial bronze head used to be. Each of the three spikes had the same runes running along with them, curving inwards as they went up. The outside part of the metal looked sharp enough to shave with. (1)

The only other item was a small golden bottle with a cork stuck in its end. Inside it Liam could see a darkened liquid sloshing around, not letting light pass through the golden glass covering it. Quickly, the vampire sat the bottle back down on the bed, still trying to ignore the feeling of someone squeezing his brain every few seconds.

"How in the hell did he fit all of that in there?" muttered Liam as he started to quickly repack everything but his mace and shield. After zipping the pack back up he clipped his shield to his waist, using its built-in leather strap as a connector through one of his pant's loops.

The boy's newly reinforced mace was hung much the same way just on his other side. A small length of leather was put through Liam's belt loop and a single chain length that dangled from the mace's handle. It held on fairly well, but the boy was a bit worried about cutting himself on it as the thing's sharp spines were rubbing up against the side of his knee.

"Alright what now?" questioned Liam, curiously staring at the door Annabeth left through. It was surprisingly quiet since she left; there was no noise, no nothing at all besides the methodical breathing coming from Liam's lips.

He expected something at least, not just an almost eerie silence which helped to push along his nervousness just a bit more. The boy would have to go out and look for _something _at least. It was better than waiting alone in an empty room.

Hoping there would be a way out of the building without someone to see his weapons, Liam walked forward opening up the door which led out into a long hallway. The hallway was filled to the brim with similar-looking doors, all looking the exact same except for the numbered plaque placed on their center.

Unlike the room from which he came the outside had a much more thin carpet with mixed hues of blue and white. They crisscrossed down the hall in either direction. Peaking his head out and turning it from side to side, Liam noticed one thing that stood out.

Around five doors down was a large sheet of metal indented in the wall. Just to the right of it was a small plate with two buttons on it. The first had a large yellow arrow pointing up while the second pointed down. It was an elevator.

After giving it a few more seconds, hoping to spot any incoming individuals, Liam briskly walked out into the hallway. A single finger pressed on the arrow pointing down as the boy reached the elevator doors. Instantly the button started to glow, turning a bright white.

Above him, the boy heard a small ding before the double doors opened letting him inside. As quickly as he could manage it, Liam went in looking at another set of controls. Seeing the large array of numbers Liam thought _Where ever I am, it must have a lot of floors..._

The boy's eyes were drawn down the list before suddenly coming across one that stood out. Unlike all of the numbered floors above it this button had only one single identifying factor. A large G was printed onto the device in much the same manner as all the other ones above it.

Not thinking much of it, Liam hurriedly pressed it. Following soon after, the elevator doors closed locking the boy inside. Slowly small dings were heard as the machine descended pulling Liam further below.

-Ground Floor, Lotus Casino-

One thing Liam really didn't take into consideration when trying to leave the building was that he was armed. From previous experience he knew that most people wouldn't see _exactly _what he was carrying, but they would see something at least. (2)

If they were just a normal human they could see nothing, or they could see a gun holstered at his hip. Personally, the boy was hoping for the first. Whenever he was at camp, Liam never had enough time to really ask much more about it, the mist. When the elevator reached its stop, the device let out a loud ding before revealing the ground floor to Liam's eyes.

Large flashes of lights and games lit up the building. The boy's eyes went wide as an employee carrying a virtual mountain of champagne bottles passed by in front of the elevator. Farther out in front of him was an entire floor filled to the brim with games.

Vaguely, the boy could remember the place like an old memory lost to age. He was drawn to a large line of blackjack tables before quickly looking away; they were familiar, but he didn't come down here to gamble. Doing his best to not look out of place, he quickly hurried out and into the floor. Surprisingly none of the people passing by seemed to care about what Liam was carrying.

All of the busy people were rushing by moving from one machine to the next with vacant looks in their eyes. The employees continued about carrying food and drink all throughout. Liam's quietly noted large men in suits at every exit. He could easily see long white wires wrapping around their ears coming from their suits. The mirror shades covering each fo their eyes coupled with the stylish suits made the guards look like they all just walked out of a Men in Black screening.

_I guess it's just some casino..._thought Liam as someone in the distance caught his attention. The same girl from before, Annabeth, was haphazardly throwing around a silver card.

Out in front of her there was some type of screen laid out flat, similar to a table. From what Liam could see, the game appeared to have something to do with city building as when she tapped on the screen large buildings would come to and fro. Loud noises of construction or destruction would follow after each other as the city changed to the wannabe architect's whims.

Quietly approaching the boy thought _Why would they let kids in a place like this?_

It was a bit weird to the boy. The crowd of people constantly bustling by didn't much care about the obviously underaged children mixed in with them. Making Liam even more suspicious there were more kids than just them. A few younger teenagers dotted in with the crowd, going about while playing games.

Not a single soul within the building seemed to care. There were already too occupied with some game. What finally set a small worm of fear into Liam's stomach though was the people's eyes.

Each and every person in the building except the staff looked dead. Almost like walking corpses with their unintelligent eyes slowly moving from one machine to the next. Not a single one of them was talking, let alone showing the ability to have intelligent thoughts. They were nothing but mindless drones serving an unknown hive. It sent an unnatural shiver of fear down the boy's spine.

Looking away from the line of slot machines the vampire whispered, "What is going on here?"

Approaching Annabeth from behind, Liam saw something that made the girl stand out from the rest. The same look the other walking meat sacs wore was noticeably absent on her face. Replacing it though was a constant muttering beneath her breath which only appeared to be matched with look of fluttering worry in her eyes.

"Best. Best. I gotta be the best. The best city. The best walls. I have to-" The camper's gray eyes shot over to a building on the other side of the game table. She let out a low growl before quickly tapping on it, demolishing the entire thing. "-not good enough..." she ranted while pacing back and forth.

Her voice came out in an unnatural monotone, sounding as dead as everyone else in the casino looked. It was completely absent of the anger and vitriol from before, only filled with a latent need for _something_. The tone made Liam a bit sick to his stomach. From what Liam could see there was no "proctor" as Annabeth had described it; the only person around was her, hurriedly making decisions in the city of her design.

"Hey, Annabeth right?" he asked while lightly tapping the girl on her shoulder. Liam's voice came out with a bit of his own nervousness, making the feeling known to those around. Well it would If any of them were listening.

At first the daughter of Athena didn't seem to notice him, even with the firm grip on her shoulder. As she tried to walk around the table however, Annabeth showed some recognition. Quickly turning around with a little bit of the fire from before in her eyes she said, "What...Who are you? Better yet what do you want, can't you see I'm busy?"

Liam's lips pursed down into a frown. Letting go of her shoulder the boy thought _What the hell is going on here? Goddammit, Sam where did you take me..._

The boy just couldn't understand it. Every single person in the casino just seemed out of it. Everyone he had seen except for the girl in front of him appeared to be as docile as a sheep, huffing about with no real purpose. Making it all the more worse, Annabeth seemed to be slowly slipping into the same stupor as those around them. Every once in a while the boy would catch a glint of the same dead expression as everyone else in the casino.

"We just met a little bit ago...I-I think somethings wrong here-" began Liam before the girl in front of him sharply cut him off.

Annabeth raised one of her hands in the air before interrupting, "I don't care, just let me beat this level first."

As soon as she finished her sentence the camper turned back towards the LCD-topped table in front of her, quickly tapping away at its screen. Apprehensively, Liam's eyes peeked back towards the guards still standing by, blocking every exit.

Finally making his choice, the vampire roughly pulled the girl away from the table. Once more her eyes lit up with barely restrained fury. Still firmly holding her wrist within his hand Liam growled, "Come on I thought the kids from cabin six were supposed to be smart! Look around you, doesn't all this stuff seem weird?"

Annabeth's eyes still wrought with rage pushed him away. Immediately the girl's mouth opened only to spew a line in, what Liam assumed to be, Ancient Greek. It came out and with it the anger quickly fled only to be replaced with a bit of confusion.

Slowly her eyes trailed down in the casino before going out towards the entrance. Stuttering a bit the daughter of Athena mumbled, "I-It's only been one day..."

The small phrase came out almost like a prayer as if she were truly hoping what she said was true. Stormy-gray eyes shot up, this time filled with purpose. They walked their way around the casino floor before roughly landing on a giant symbol a pink lotus flower on the wall.

"Oh no..." gasped the girl with her eyes widening in despair. Seeming to finally completely take hold of herself, Annabeth rushed past Liam grabbing his arm as she walked. Her eyes frantically darted around the room searching within the crowd.

"H-Hey, watch it! I can walk fine by myself," grumbled Liam as he wrenched himself free from the girl's grasp. She stopped in her tracks letting out what sounded like a low growl.

With her face marred with frustration the girl said, "Come on we don't have time for this. P-" In the middle of her speech, the girl's eyes widened. Quickly Liam up and down Annabeth continued, "You're not...Who in the hell are you?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you! First it was the crap back in the hotel room and now this? My name's Liam; I was...I am a camper." explained the boy. His words came out a bit frustrated with him roughly scratching at his scalp. The pounding headache was still there, slowly growing and shrinking with all the noise around him.

_It feels like someone's sticking my head in a blender._ Thought Liam as the small waves of pain continued to roll in.

Annabeth looked a bit surprised at his answer before muttering something under her breath. Liam could see the gears hurriedly turning within her mind. Less than a second later she replied, "J-Just come with me; we need to get out of here. The whole damned place is a trap. I-I need to find the other two...crap."

The pair rushed through the slot machine section of the casino before Annabeth finally spotted one of the other two who went with her. Standing next to what looked like an Elvis impersonator was Percy Jackson.

The boy was slowly pulling down on the slot machine's main lever with his eyes glazed over. Every once in awhile Annabeth could see him change machines, for some reason following after the guy who looked like he was straight out of the sixties.

With a grimace on her face the daughter of Athena thought _He might actually be..._

The girl knew of this casino. She'd read about it multiple times back at camp. There was one thing that didn't make sense to her though. Annabeth knew this place was the new home of the _Lotophagi, _The Lotus Eaters.

_Weren't they supposed to eat some type of addictive fruit? _Thought the girl as she pulled through the crowd, quickly running up behind the son of Poseidon. (3)

From what she had read at least, the eaters were supposed to be addicted to some kind of succulent fruit that grows from a special lotus tree. They were said to bewitch those around them into staying with them, usually forever. Odysseus even had a run-in with them, during ancient times.

It worried her. Annabeth instantly made the connection between the large swaths of people that just seemed out of place. Pulling on the back of Percy's shirt she thought _Who knows how long we've been in here?"_

The boy in front of her almost instantly snapped out of his stupor slamming a hand behind him. The boy's green eyes glared a hole into Annabeth's chest as he growled, "What! I already told you I don't want anymore...Annabeth?"

His words came to an end with the daughter of Athena quickly hushing him. Just behind her Liam stood, feeling a little stiff. He felt out of place even just being around the two. It wasn't comfortable per-say but it definitely was noticeable to the boy.

There was an almost annoying sense that Liam just didn't belong like he was intruding just by being there. If the Prince within his head were feeling talkative he would agree. Although for very different reasons.

He hated the very notion that his progeny would mingle with those weaker than himself. It was made even worse that they were the children of those so-called _gods._

"Percy, snap out of it; we gotta go! This place is a trap." explained the girl all the while nervously eyeing the black-suited guards around the casino floor. They didn't notice any of them yet, but Annabeth would bet that would change.

The male camper seemed to slowly pull himself away from the slot machine. Finally getting a few feet away from it, he gave the gambling machine one last longing look before walking over to were Annabeth and Liam were, just a few feet away.

Deciding to interject himself into the conversation Liam said, "Looks like you're finally out of it..."

The other boy directed his gaze at Liam for a few seconds before noticing the Camp Half-blood orange within his tattered shirt. Slowly Percy turned back towards Annabeth before quietly saying, "So who's this?"

His voice came out with a hint of suspicion in it, almost like he was expecting something. Liam didn't pick up on the tone, but Annabeth caught it as soon as it left the boy's lips. Almost immediately Percy supplanted himself between the two, using his body as a sort of barrier to block him.

Meanwhile Liam didn't seem to really notice the body language at all. He didn't have the experience for it, having spent most of his childhood hopping from school to school never really talking to anyone until he met Sammy. The vampire saw Percy's posture as a bit weird but not much else.

Although he sure as hell didn't like the look the boy was giving him.

"Percy just...just drop it for now." chided Annabeth as she slowly turned around looking for someone else. Immediately as the words left her lips the son of Poseidon seemed a bit annoyed, all the while he continued to give poking glances at Liam.

The green-eyed boy opened his mouth saying, "But you know what it said. The prophec-"

With a low growl Annabeth cut him off interjecting, "I know that Kèpfos, just drop it alright? You don't know if it's him." (4)

The demi-god stuttered for a few seconds before grumbling something under his breath. Slowly he was drawn back towards Liam who was still just awkwardly standing there giving out a grimace every once in a while, grasping at his head.

"What's wrong with you?" Percy asked in a still doubtful tone. It was like he was actively looking for something to hold against Liam, whether or not there actually was. If only he knew.

Slowly pulling down his hand from his temple, the vampire responded, "Ugh...I met part of my _extended _family a little while ago. He wanted to celebrate my birthday, wouldn't take no for an answer."

As the somewhat informative lie left Liam's mouth he thought _Well, if I had said no in the first place..._

Percy's scalding look slowly faded before he let out a huff of air through his nose. Slowly he lowered his defensive posture, standing to the side.

Annabeth quietly peeked around the corner of the line of slot machines with her stormy-gray eyes frantically searching for one last person. The two boys stood behind her with one starting to wonder how and why he got into this mess.

_Ugh...Why in the hell did I take that damned drink? _Pondered Liam while trying to shake off the aches and pains coming from his body. The hangover was starting to slowly ebb away, but every once in awhile it would come back, blasting the boy's head with hot iron.

The daughter of Athena's eyes stopped their search near an arcade machine. Showing a little bit of hope within the orbs, she pointed out her finger before whispering, "There!"

The game cabinet looked to be some type of shooting game. From what Liam could see, there was a rather young looking boy was shooting away at the screen in front of him, ranting and raving about hunters. He looked to be hunched slightly in his jeans; it was a bit similar to the way Sam walked around with the Rasta-capped boy in front of him having an awkward bend near his knees.

_He's a Satyr. _Commented Liam from within his mind.

Annabeth and Percy quickly hurried over pulling the boy from his game. After no small amount of grumbling and griping the two got Grover to snap out of it with him letting out a nervous bleat. As quickly as they could the two quieted him down with Liam awkwardly standing next to the group.

"W-Who's he? How long have we been here? Oh, gods-" started the young satyr while looking around, his eyes blasting every which way. There was a certain jittery undertone that made the uncertain boy sound just a bit more scared than everyone else in the group.

Quickly taking charge of the situation, Annabeth interrupted him saying, "Not enough time goat boy. We need to get out of here. This place, it's the home of the Lotus Eaters."

Grover sent a nervous look towards the guards, who were starting to look increasingly more aware of the group's actions. One of them was quietly muttering into an earpiece they wore, wrapped around the ear's lobe.

Percy turned his gaze back towards the main entrance, spotting something that might just let them get out of their current situation. Just a short distance from the main lobby was a marble fountain, slowly spewing out a guzzle of freshwater every few seconds. Even at a distance, the son of Poseidon could feel it like a presence on his mind only a short distance away.

Just below it was a rather large reservoir of the liquid, just what he needed.

"Come on you two...and what's your name, I think I've got us a way out of here." said the son of Poseidon before slowly walking towards the exit. Annabeth appeared to be a bit worried before she spotted Percy's hand slowly pulling itself up.

Following soon after, large snake-like tendrils of water rose up from the fountain before shooting into the sky. The tentacles splashed into two of the guards near the entrance knocking them off their feet. As soon as they were downed Percy yelled, "Run!"

All across the casino floor chaos erupted with the doll-like people suddenly coming to their senses at the sound of the commotion. Despite still having their deadened looks, they quickly rushed about with the guards trying to corral them. From within Liam's mind the voice of Molag Bal commented, **Sheep.**

The word came out as an insult with an almost derisive sense of anger. Slowly that feeling rushed through Liam's mind, becoming his own. Gradually, the vampire's opinion of the meek collection of people began to change.

He tried to ignore it at first, pushing the thoughts down hoping they would go away, but in the end it would do nothing. The same question kept popping back up in his mind. How dare they? How dare they exist? With nothing but their weak wills, only suited to serve. It made him angry, no furious that they would breathe the same _air _as him.

Yet, at the same time the boy knew the emotion was not his.

Liam quickly shook his head, demanding that the thing leave him alone. Looking at the three that had veritably left him behind, he brought up his shield. Suppressing an angry growl, the boy rushed through the crowd, roughly pushing through those in his way.

Within the back of the boy's mind, A Prince brought its attention elsewhere, cutting off the swirl of rampant emotions that pushed at the boy's psyche. It had done its part.

Liam heard a sickening crunch just as he reached the edge of the crowd. Bringing his shield out of in front of him, he could see a bit of blood on its front, smearing onto the wood. Ignoring the substance the vampire sprinted after the trio of campers out into the street.

Little did he know what awaited him within the streets of Vegas, or rather what waited below.

**AN: **Well ladies and gentlemen that's a wrap for today. I ended up having to split up part of this chapter and rewrite a few scenes as what I was planning to do didn't fit all in one. I had planned for this entire scene to be the opening to something else you will see soon, but as I was writing the character interactions it just kept flowing a bit too well for me.

In the end, I decided to just focus on developing the golden trio and Liam some more by showing how they would interact. With the trio I tried to show their chemistry by making them actually able to work around each other rather effectively. With Liam however, I showed some of his inexperience with that sort of thing through him awkwardly standing about and not taking conversational hints very well. In time I feel like he'll be able to do better but for right now he's going to stay as-is. He needs to develop his social skills some more before really achieving much there.

Other than that though I think it's about time to move onto the annotations, so let's keep it rolling.

(1) For these two little "upgrades" to Liam's equipment, you all will find out more about it later. I have something planned that will introduce it beyond what I've described. The metal is ebony which seemed to fit the best for any type of work done by Daedra. Overall it's just a bracing on the shield and spikes added to the mace; the runes will come into play later. If you don't know what ebony is, in the Elder Scrolls at least, it is basically a really strong metal. However, the metal is fairly rare with it being hard to smith and shape. Overall it is used to make Daedric weaponry along with some other _fun _ingredients.

(2) This is supposed to show Liam's rudimentary understanding of the mist. He knows that it exists, through just being in Camp Half-blood, but he is not particularly educated on the exact hows and whys of what the reality-bending magic does. In time he may learn more or not. Who knows?

(3) Funnily enough while doing some research on the Lotus Eaters, and rereading the scene myself, the fruit they eat was never mentioned by Riordan. It was however shown in the movies and just mythology in general. I decided to just add a few references to the flower as it was shown in the movie as that would make more sense than just being addicted to the games. It works better than just having a somehow magically addictive casino.

I was thinking of actually adding in the tree (as a centerpiece to the casino floor), but I decided not to once I checked how long the chapter already was.

(4) Kèpfos is basically just an Ancient Greek way to call someone an idiot. It doesn't translate like that exactly, but it's close enough. Overall I decided to start adding in stuff like this rather than just saying that, "They cursed in an unknown language." It just fits better and I can mix it in with the previous stuff for more dialogue. From now on if there is any language being spoken that Liam can't understand I'll just translate some stuff and put it in.

Other than that though, like always I'm open to any and all criticism so if you have any go ahead and hit me with it! I'll be seeing you guys again in a couple of days!

~ciao


	18. Down Under

**AN: **How you doing everybody? It's a Wednesday night for me, and I'm feeling in the mood to write some. We'll be going along with Liam into the streets of Las Vegas but first, let's cover a guest review!

Guest #1: First off thanks for the review! I'm not too worried about getting recognition for my work; I started writing as a sort of role-playing experience. Basically I'd ask a "What if?" question in my head that would develop to the point of having a story. After that, I made a couple of characters that fit with the basic concept. Overall it's encouraging to see some reviews though.

I've got nothing else for ya!

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line Skip-

Down Under

As Liam barreled out of the Lotus Casino's main floor into the street the boy's eyes went wide. Perfectly matching the room behind him the strip was filled with blazing lights and colors which appeared to bring life to his surroundings. Looking up he couldn't even see a single star in the night sky through the thick buzz of light.

Quickly bringing his head back down Liam sprinted forward with a cacophony waiting just behind him. The large crowd of people was still pushing about with the casino's guards making a sort of ring around its edges. It was barely enough to hold the horde back. Each of the glassy-eyed people were pushing and prodding at the guard's defensive ring, like a cat playing with a mouse.

_Crap, where did they go? _Liam thought with his eyes frantically pacing back and forth, looking for any sign of the trio that left him behind. There was a small trill of anger smoldering within his chest at the thought. They upped and left him without a second thought.

It was like there was a small bead of molten iron lodged within his chest refusing to cool off.

"H-Hey, over here!" called out a feminine voice. Instantly, the vampire's head whipped around towards the noise to see Annabeth waving an arm. She, along with Percy and Grover, were both tucked away into a nearby alley between the Lotus Casino and something called the "Lucky 38." The large tower-like building was a beacon in the night, brightly shining like all the rest on the Vegas strip. (1)

As quickly as he could Liam walked over, making a conscious effort to avoid the stragglers as he pushed through the busy sidewalk. Coming up to the alleyway, the boy's nose scrunched as a potent smell of fetid rot wafted towards his face.

Liam's eyes quickly shot over towards a nearby closed dumpster before turning back. Approaching the trio he thought, _Gross...I guess I'll just have to deal with it for now._

The four quietly stood within the hidden pathway, looking a little worse for wear. The trio, as Liam had taken to calling them, appeared sweaty and uncomfortable in the cities heat. Annabeth's hair was a definite mess with her pristine ponytail being lost, the tie somewhere amidst the casino floor. One of them appeared to be a little more emotional than the rest with his sea-green eyes angrily glaring a hole into the back of Liam's head.

Finally catching his breath, Percy growled, "What in Hades was that back there?"

The son of Poseidon's voice came out with righteous fury. It was a step up from before with the culled suspicion and anger being pushed into the forefront of his mind. Subconsciously, one the boy's hands were slinking closer to his pocket.

"What do you mean?" inquired Liam, turning around to face him. Like before the vampire didn't pick up on the conversation's undertones, being almost oblivious to the other boy's plight. The young vampire's head was tilted to the side with a disinterested look on his face.

Annabeth appeared to be a bit confused with her sending a curious glance at the two boys. Despite knowing why Percy was originally suspicious, she couldn't quite understand why he was being so confrontational. It just didn't make sense, and she _hated it _when things didn't make sense.

The last person in the alleyway had his beady eyes darting about, fearfully looking at Liam before moving to Percy. All the while a potent scent hit his nose. Distinctly standing out from the dumpster's stench, the satyr caught a whiff of something that scared him.

Mixed in with a baleful cold was the coppery scent of blood, slowly overpowering the young satyr's mind. It smelled like a monster, but it was just a bit _off. _He couldn't quite place why. The most worrying thing was that the scent was all around, radiating throughout the alley like the beast was right in front of them.

"You know what I'm talking about!" exploded the demi-god while pointing a single finger at the bloodied shield still strapped onto Liam's hand. The thick red substance was slowly beginning to dry, coating the wood and metal with a crusty brown.

Brown eyes quickly looked down at the shield before a little bit of disbelief sprung up in Liam's mind. Of all things, that's what the boy cared about? A little bit of blood? Nauseously mixing in with the smell of the nearby dumpster was that familiar honeyed scent, silently tempting him to have a taste.

Bringing his view back up the vampire replied, "Really? All that? For just a bit of blood?"

Each small phrase came out with short pauses between them, almost as if Liam was still trying to work it out in his head. At the end of it, the vampire just couldn't understand; it was nothing more than a bit of blood. Why was it such a big deal?

A vein popped on the demi-god's brow as he shouted, "I don't give a damn about the blood! Why did you hurt them? You could have killed someone!"

Each of the words came out in an increasingly louder tone, only being matched by the look of anger on Percy's face. Across from him, Liam flinched at the sudden shout, still in doubt that the other boy would care.

Within the back of his mind, a Prince slowly began to feed a fire. Small emotions started to drawl out like a forge's bellows, growing Liam's ire. Without saying a word, The Prince of Domination had his scion beneath his thumb, following emotions he thought were his own.

The vampire didn't notice his sudden desire to put the boy in front of him in his place. It was like there was some far off part of him that _abhorred _the boy in front of him. That feeling slowly spread throughout his entire being, becoming vindictive fury.

"So what?" growled Liam, taking one step forward. He could feel small amounts of magicka begin to swirl around, slowly becoming his own. If the three were capable they would have seen light-blue wisps gather around the boy's hands.

Tightly gripping the pen in his pocket, the demi-god fumed, "So what? So what! SO WHAT!"

His words came out with more of that righteous anger, slowly rising up his chest. He couldn't understand it; Liam's voice came out without any care at all, as if the boy couldn't see what he had done. Either that or he just didn't care.

Liam felt power draw within his limbs, just waiting for any attack. His animosity was only fueled further, not only by Molag Bal's rage but a sense of courage permeating his mind. Liam felt like he did back on the first night; the vampire felt like he could take on the world. (2)

"Well maybe I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't left me behind!" he exploded, bearing his teeth with a low growl. Immediately the trio went deadly silent. Liam took a vice grip to his mace before noticing something was off with the three.

Grover had stepped back, tripping over a garbage bag before falling against the dumpster. Annabeth's skin went noticeably pale before she reached down to grab something at her waist. Liam's eyes could easily pick up the celestial bronze sheen of a dagger meeting the night's air. Weirdly, he spotted Percy pulling a small pen out of his side pocket.

Still with the same fury burning in his chest, the vampire asked, "What?"

Silence met his ears. For the trio it was like a slow-building sense of dread was eating at their resolve, a cold tendril of terror pushing into their hearts. Two scarlet eyes burned within the darkness. From where Percy was standing, he could see Liam's teeth. Two digits were outstretched, razor-sharp edges gleaming in the low light. Both of the feature's were something so inhuman that it only sought to bring out more unnatural fear into their hearts.

That sam otherworldly sense of horror circled around, like an unholy miasma pervading their senses.

Liam- _no the thing,_ decided Percy, continued to stare at them with smoldering eyes. The demi-god finally steeled the fear within him before saying, "S-Stay back!"

Confused, the vampire continued to stare as the trio got further and further away. They formed a sort of triangle, pointed directly at him. Before they could even begin, thoughts asking just why they were so scared of him were squashed only to be replaced by more rage.

It flowed like a river of fire, raging through Liam's body with reckless abandon. A large sense of power came with it; however, whether or not it was anything but careless bravado was debatable. Bearing his fangs once more, he exclaimed, "Go on then! Get the hell out of here!"

Almost immediately, Percy's worried eyes turned towards the daughter of Athena. Looking for some type of recognition, the demi-god tilted his head. Annabeth's answer followed soon after in the form of a short nod. Tensing her legs Annabeth thought back to a silver card still stuck in her back pocket.

Out in front of the vampire, worn sneakers impacted concrete as the two rushed off. The satyr quickly followed behind, his goat-hoofed feet clacking away at the stone. Angrily, Liam let off a yell before quickly storming towards the nearest thing to him.

Within the alleyway, loud metal screeching echoed within the night as the vampire let out his frustrations on a poor, lonely dumpster. Curled fists met hardened steel; he let out a frustrated grunt with each hit slowly pouring out an ocean of rage. Liam's fingers uncurled.

Without even thinking, he plunged them forward raking along with the dumpster's green metal. The container let out one last howling cry as the boy's fingers raked through the steel, making small lines in it. The fury within him smoldered down to a low pulse as he brought his hand back out.

The appendage ended in what appeared to be small claws. They ran along the top of his fingertips perfectly following his nails. As more clarity came to Liam he silently wondered how they weren't broken. Roughly shoving the curious part of him to the side, the vampire let out a low sigh.

_I almost did it again. _Thought Liam, his head slowly pushing itself up into the night sky. The glow in his eyes began to fade as the boy leaned up against a nearby wall, slowing his breaths.

His mind reeled as Liam replayed the scene in his head. In the span of a few seconds, he almost lost it _again. _And over what? A little bit of yelling? To the vampire, it just didn't make any damn sense. His thoughts were slowly drawn back to the hitchhiker in his mind who was being suspiciously quiet for how close to a fight Liam was.

"So come on, what is it? You got anything to say?" growled the boy with a pointed look on his face. Unlike before Liam's voice came out with none of the all-consuming heat; there was nothing but quickly cooling embers.

Slowly he felt an uncomfortable presence wash over his body like something was watching him. As quickly as the sensation appeared, it fled with Molag Bal replying, **They're not worthy. You wouldn't make them leave, so I gave you incentive.**

Like always the voice came out like nails on a chalkboard with its demon-like undercurrents climbing up Liam's spine. Slowly, grasping out for some semblance of control the boy yelled out, "Stay the hell out of my head!"

Unfortunately for him, the boy's plea would go ignored with the Prince letting out a small chuckle. The presence left his mind as the baleful laughing suddenly came to an end. Holding back a curse, Liam looked up into the sky towards the ever waxing moon; it was only a few short days away from full.

-The Streets of Las Vegas, Near the Lucky 38-

As soon as Liam got done yelling at the voice in his head his mind was brought back to his current situation. The vampire was miles away from anywhere he knew with, from what he could remember, the area surrounding him being a desert.

He was all alone, with precious little supplies, in a place that he's never been. Any one of those could eventually spell disaster. Pacing about the alleyway splitting the Lucky 38 and the Lotus Casino, Liam thought of a way to get out of his current predicament.

After a solid ten minutes of no slapstick ideas coming to mind, the boy hurried his pace, a little bit of nervousness reaching into his stomach. What if he never made it back? What if he got lost? What if-

Quickly cutting off the vampire's rambling questions was a younger male voice who exclaimed, "What the fuck?"

A short distance away a younger man, early to mid twenties, was carrying a plastic bag of trash over his shoulders. From what Liam could see, he had on a hairnet and apron. The dark-skinned man was staring at the battered dumpster, both of his eyes opened wide.

Instinctively, Liam hunched his back against the wall further slinking into Nocturnal's embrace. The night covered him like a cloak as the vampire silently watched the cook who was running his hands over the marks covering the garbage container.

"An animal?" muttered the man before lightly setting down the large bag of, what Liam assumed to be, foodstuffs from the kitchen. The boy could make out the slight smell of chicken as a yellowish liquid leaked from the bag, spewing onto the concrete below.

The cook quickly turned back towards the wide-open door just a few feet down before hurrying back towards it. In his rush, the man left the door open. Just before he entered, Liam heard the man say, "Dang it; House is gonna be pissed."

A little curious Liam looked over towards the entrance which was bleeding bright yellow light into the darkened alley. Doing his best to stay in the shadows, he snuck around trying to get a better view. After meandering by the dumpster, the vampire got just that.

Out in front of him was a rather small looking kitchen. It had stovetops running along one wall with two large tub sinks on the other. Laying within the sinks was a rather sizable amount of dishes; it looked like the night had been fairly busy.

Slowly, the boy's eyes were brought down.

A rather large part of the ground was inlaid with some type of crack. It appeared to be some type of rectangle or square with there being a very thing indent going all around. Making the mark on the floor stand out, even more, was a crudely drawn triangle in the middle of it, painted a low green.

Quietly the boy approached, a bit of curiosity pumping through his veins. It had already been a while and the cook was nowhere to be seen so Liam thought he would have the time. The small symbol was eerily familiar to the boy. It haunted his mind like an old echo, teasing him with memories just on the tip of his tongue.

Now standing over the mark, Liam whispered, "Just where have I seen this before?"

One pale finger brushed over the mark before it suddenly started to glow blue. Almost immediately the memories rushed back to him. The symbol, it was the same one near Zeus' Fist. The Mage called it some type of ruin. Liam would call it a maze.

The glowing symbol suddenly faded as the floor beneath Liam's feet lurched. Suddenly, the boy's stomach churned as the ground beneath him disappeared with the floor falling away at the indent. A frantic yelp sounded out in the back of the kitchen as Liam plummeted down into the darkness below.

Entering a sudden free fall, Liam cursed, "Shit. Shit! SHIT!"

He could feel air rushing by his ears as his body continued to plummet down the chasm. Losing his balance, Liam started to tumble a bit with his entire body rapidly spinning. Down below the boy, small little blue dots came into view giving something for the vampire to focus on.

Adrenaline started to rush through his veins as the glowing blue dots grew larger and larger. Wildly flailing his limbs, Liam thought _Oh god, I'm gonna die._

That harrowing line of thinking started to overpower his mind, filling Liam with dread. As his doom drew ever closer the boy tried for one last bid to survive. Roughly, he shoved out his limbs hoping to level himself out. Two arms and two legs outstretched as what was glowing below finally came into view.

They were giant glowing mushrooms. Each of the fungi were capped by a large head of glowing fluorescent moss with large blue tendrils just below them. They looked to be flashing in a pattern, letting out the glow before quickly stopping then doing it again. Just barely, as Liam leveled himself out he noticed one of the caps was right below him.

"Come on! Please!" cried the boy as the large fungus approached. His voice came out at a noticeable higher pitch than before, being filled with a squeaky fear. Small tears were budding in the vampire's eyes as he impacted the giant mushroom cap below him before his vision suddenly cut to black.

instantaneously, a thunderous boom rocked the cavern with a single glowing mushroom collapsing in on its self. Following soon after, fungi fell towards the ground below, snapping at the base. The boy's unconscious body fell to the ground with one of its legs sticking out in the wrong direction. A small trail of cold blood was leaking from the vampire's nose and eyes with him gurgling as he breathed.

Without any input of the boy's own, his body went to work desperately trying to heal itself. Instantly large amounts of blood began to pool around Liam's broken left leg. Loud crunches played out as the leg quickly snapped into position, the foot being forcefully turned back around by the large tentacles of blood. All the small cuts and abrasions across the vampire's skin started to disappear, slowly regrowing reddened skin over the wounds.

Gradually Liam's breathing became less labored as a loud pop came from beneath his skin. One of the vampire's ribs had pierced through a lung, easily cutting the organ when it fractured due to the fall. The bone was pushed back into place as more cold blood flooded within the lung slowly converting itself into new tissue.

In his unconscious state, he rolled over to the side with his head leaning up against a small blue rock.

The mineral was smooth with just a small part of it peaking out of the rough dirt below. If Liam were to be awake he would see the same material covering the cavern around him, along with some other major standouts. Seemingly growing directly from the stone was a small red plant.

It looked to be some type of fern with four red leaves as well as easily seen red roots making up most of its mass. The plant's roots were wrapped around the stone in an almost hug-like manner, ultimately ending with the life-giving roots down in the soil below. Every few seconds the plant would let out a loud ring, simultaneously glowing in a manner akin to the giant mushrooms all around.

The tendrils of blood pulled themselves back within Liam's body as the majority of their work was done. Despite his supernatural healing abilities, the vampire remained unconscious with nothing more to show he was alive than the slow rise and fall of his chest.

He would stay in the condition for a while yet. His body was entering a coma of sorts, slowly healing the more delicate things he destroyed. In large droves, parts of the boy's body started to twitch and move as fractured bones began to reconnect finishing off the healing process.

In the distance, a rather old voice called out, "Well that's not something you see every day."

-Within the Cavern-

The man looked to be quite ancient with large tufts of white hair sticking out the golden mask he wore over his face. The gold-colored metal coating his face had no real distinguishing features beyond two large pieces of glass in the front, letting him see. Just barely, you could see his chin sticking out below it with his cut-up lips sticking out from the metal.

He would introduce himself as one Thaddeus Cosma, a roaming fixer...of sorts. (3)

Thaddeus's body was covered in the same material from top to bottom. The only thing sticking out were the two left out joints near his elbows, which allowed for the plate to easily move. Just below it was a thin sheet of mail, small rings of steel intertwined in a mesh. If one were to look at the man's knees and other joints they would see something similar, letting the man move at his leisure.

All of his armor would be considered secondary to the thing that was latched onto his back. The item, a staff, was as long as the man's body with small golden-brown cogs running up its length. Each one of them turned in a different direction, letting out low puffs of steam. At the staff's tip was a small ball of what appeared to be pure electricity, letting out small crackles as it ran up and down the metal containing it.

Currently, the man was rushing forward with his metal boots making noticeable impacts into the brown floor. As he ran an almost comical clanking noise sounded out. Thaddeus was a man of many curiosities, each one of them more mystical than the last. What was drawing the eccentric-looking man's attention, however, was a young boy that seemed to fall from the roof of the cavern making a large amount of noise all the while.

With a small grimace showing on his mouth he thought _And that will soon attract this place's "friendly" residents._

Already he could see a couple of the _bastards _skulking around in the distance. Their blackened armor and long pale ears sticking out amongst the mushrooms glow. The foul, goblin-like, creatures would let out small cries attracting more and more of their kin. From experience, he knew what other beasts would follow soon after.

Thaddeus finally arrived with the broken cap being just a few feet in front of him. The glowing pieces of glass on his mask quickly shot around in the dark before landing on the boy. The child looked to somehow be just fine despite falling hundreds of feet.

Brushing it off the man quickly hoisted the boy up. He gave out a small grunt of effort before throwing him over his shoulder. Taking a quick second to adjust the child, Thaddeus pushed the boy's blue pack to the left, stopping it from grinding into his shoulder.

The two eyes were brought down as he quickly noted what appeared to be a mace and a shield indented into the dirt a couple of feet away. Thaddeus's mouth stood ajar as he noticed the make. Small lines of ebony were intertwined with some type of bronze with daedric runes lining them both. A little bit of worry came to him as he saw the rose printed on both, painting a sign of allegiance few would serve.

_Are they his? _Questioned the fixer before quickly pulling the objects up. Thaddeus didn't have enough time to pussyfoot around. He'd take them and run before the scoundrels and their _pets _arrived.

In the distance, the screeching cries got louder as the sounds of wet feet slapping against mud, hit the man's ears. Instantly he rushed off, purpose filling his steps. The same clanking noise from before pinged into the dark as another set of large footprints were left in the sloppy dirt.

As he moved Thaddeus questioned, _How did the boy get down here? Through one of the lifts? But then..._

The man's memory was drawn back the frantic screams as he looked up from his workshop at a small child falling from above. It just didn't make sense. Despite being hundreds of years old there was no way in Oblivion that the dwarven tech would just fail, especially not that made in this ruin of all places.

_That still doesn't explain how he got down here. Hmm...I guess I'll just have to wait till he wakes up. _Thought the man as his destination came into view.

Out in front of the two, a large structure came into sight. The building was made of roughly cut stone; similar to the metal covering Thaddeus from head to toe, there were large metal gears poking out of it spewing out steam from time to time. Lighting up the entire abode was a large glowing ball, hung from the ceiling.

The artificial sun was covered in the same dwemer metal, seeming to encase some type of yellow fire like a cage. A trio of large intertwined chains came out of its top, shooting up into the darkness above.

Thaddeus had only just arrived within this section of the ruin rather recently with only a week or two to spare. After clearing out some of the local _residents_, the man commandeered the place and reinstated it as his own impromptu workshop. It stood as a base of command for any and all of the eccentric fixers projects, letting him have protection and adequate supplies at a moment's notice with the walls and garden surrounding it.

Arriving at a large metal gate, Thaddeus fumbled around in his armor before pulling out a small golden-brown key. Quickly, the small tool was inserted into what looked like a human-like face engraved on the gate. Turning it, the gate swung open letting both of them inside.

Hurrying, the man shut the gate behind him with it letting out a small "Click!" as it snapped shut. Rushing forward the man approached the structure in front of him. The clanking noise began to mix in with obnoxiously loud footsteps as Thaddeus walked up the stone steps to his impromptu workshop.

Next to the large steampunk-themed workshop was what appeared to be a perfectly normal lever. As the cries in the distance got ever closer Thaddeus brought his eyes over towards it before muttering, "Not yet."

Spewing off from the dwarven metal lever was a large bundle of wire. It quickly wrapped around to the side of the stone-cut workshop leading to something that would just look like a normal statue to most. The object appeared to be a fifteen-foot tall automaton.

Similar to the gate, it had a humanoid face pressed onto its metal head. Thick plates of golden-brown armor wrapped around its shoulders, giving the thing a metal carapace which seemed to perfectly follow all of its limbs.

Near the end of each limb, excluding its legs, was some type of large weapon. On the automaton's left hand was a large hammer that had a spear point sticking out of its end. It looked heavy enough to crush boulders. On the robot's other arm was a rather long sword with small three-inch-long spikes which rutted out from the blade, occasionally hooking inwards. Coming from the machine's mouth was a large tube around three inches in diameter.

Despite its fearsome appearance, it didn't seem to have any life in it. The machine was held still by a thin metal frame with small wires wrapping around it. Below the frame, small spouts of steam were seen, blowing out three the holder's metal base. The wire led all the way from the lever into the machine's base, connecting through what appeared to be a small port on its backside.

Thaddeus turned away from the overgrown hunk of dwemer technology and entered into his workshop. Thick metal doors swung open to reveal a rather homey one-room building. It had a few cut-out stone beds on one side with large tables filled to the brim with all manner of exciting items at its other end. Small crystal bobbles floated about with little bits of flora surrounding them. Almost completely covering the tables were small pieces of dwemer machinery, lying in wait.

As quickly as he could the eccentric fixer brought Liam over to one of the stone hewn beds before plopping him down in it. Soon after, he placed the boy's weapon and shield on one of his benches, leaving the mud-covered tools out to dry.

Thaddeus's eyes were drawn back over towards the mysterious child before seeing his arched back. A little forgetful, the man looked down to see the blue pack still holding on to the child's back. Lightly he strode over before wrenching it off the boy.

Despite being jostled around, Liam didn't wake up with him only letting out low painful groans as he back stretched out on the cold stone. Thaddeus walked over to one of his workbenches before lightly picking up what appeared to be a small rod. With a little bit of mischief showing through the cutout part of his mask, Thaddeus said, "This should wake him right up."

One of the man's fingers slid along the shaft of the object before it let out a small spark of electricity.

**AN:** That's gonna be it from me today! We are officially at the point in the story where you can pick out exactly how I pieced these two universes together. All the pieces are there; it's up to you to put them together. If you know your lore well enough I think it's possible. I've been foreshadowing it constantly since Falion was introduced so if you're wanting to try and figure it out start there. If you can't figure it out though, I'll be revealing it in the future.

I had a whole hell of a lot of fun researching for this chapter. There is just so much cool ass lore that, unexpectedly, worked perfectly for what I had planned. Here fairly soon we'll be coming across the mid to beginning of the end of Arc one. I don't know how long it will take, as I tend to "overwrite" certain scenes, but hopefully you'll be seeing it soon.

Let's move onto the annotations!

(1) The Lucky 38 is a casino from Fallout New Vegas. There's not going to be any Fallout stuff coming into the story but being in Vegas made me want to at least put _some _kind of reference to the game. Replaying the game on pc also helped a bit though...

(2) This is another active example of not only Molag Bal's propensity to manipulate Liam but how he's slowly losing more of his humanity. This entire scene was a bit hard to balance as I wanted to show Liam as a little more "deranged" with him not caring about hurting other people but still have it be believable. In the end, I decided to do a mix of the Prince's depravity with Liam's frustrations at being left to fend for himself.

Overall, this may or may not get worse in the future depending on how his character develops.

(3) Thaddeus Cosma is a character from the Elder Scrolls Online. Overall he's pretty obscure but be warned if you look him up you will probably be spoiled for this story. There are some things about him that could be major spoilers.

If you don't really care about that I suggest you watch a YouTube video called, "A Very Big Secret has Just Been Revealed" by TheEpicNate315; he goes into more detail about him and his character.

Other than that though, like always I'm open to any and all criticism so if you have any go ahead and hit me with it! I'll be seeing you guys in a couple of days!

~ciao


	19. A Hill Lined with Corpses

**Edit: **Did a few minor edits as I left out a few words in the author's note for some reason.

**AN: **How you all doing? There's a bunch of rioting and looting going about in big cities across America so that's a thing. I hope you all are doing all right. We're gonna keep moving on today with Liam and Thaddeus in places unknown. I've got no new guest reviews for ya today!

~enjoy

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

**Powerful Being Speaking**

-Setting/Line Skip-

A Hill Lined with Corpses

Normally waking up for Liam was a pretty lackluster affair. There was no real fuss or buss about it; he just got up when needed and went to bed when needed. The boy never really went through that "phase" where children don't want to go to bed at a certain time or wake up early.

Now if you were to take a charge akin to that of a taser pressed against his arm, then things would change pretty quickly.

Electricity crackled as Thaddeus brought down the dwemer device. Immediately, Liam's body shook before the boy rolled off the side of the stone bed. With nervous jitter filling his veins, the vampire exclaimed, "W-What in the hell was that?"

As his voice came out he quickly looked around the room he was in. Despite being a complete unknown to the boy, he could faintly remember the same aesthetic from the past. A flash of a blue-robed man coercing him down into a ruin came to Liam's mind.

"Ha! Bet that woke you up quick didn't it?" said the eccentric fixer as he quickly put down the taser onto one of the workbenches within the shop. His voice came out in a decidedly low tone, brushing through the room in a rich baritone.

"Who are you?" murmured the vampire as he slowly began to push himself off the ground. A little bit of irritation came to his mind before Liam continued, "And what in the hell was that for?

The older man within the room quickly spun on his feet as he gave a large, overly slow, bow. Liam took note that the man's mouth was peaking into a growing grin. Pulling himself out of the bow, he said, "My name is...Thaddeus! And I am a fixer. The best in the entire ninth era! Now you however-"

The man suddenly stopped his speech to give his beard a few low strokes. He let out a low curse as he brought his hand back, forgetting the metal armor covering his hands. Looking over Liam could see a few long strands of the facial debris lingering on the metal tips.

"Ah, no matter. You my dear...otherkin are somewhere you don't belong. Tell me, how _did _you get down here?" Thaddeus finished as he started to slowly pace back and forth.

Liam's eyes went wide as it all came back to him.

_The glowing symbol beneath his fingertips._

_The floor dropping out, leaving a pitch-black chasm below._

_A gigantic mushroom._

_Then complete darkness._

The boy's eyes frantically looked about the room before settling on the metal covered man in front of him. Showing a bit of panic, Liam asked, "W-Where am I? The last thing I remember was falling down towards that mushroom."

The man across from him seemed to completely ignore the boy as he continued to pace back and forth, quietly muttering all the while. Thaddeus' voice came out as a buzz of bees with the man's thoughts being revealed to all around.

"No, no that can't be it. Hmmm...Are you from one of the clans? I heard they were starting to be more prolific with their little _scouting _parties. No, not that either. You're a blood-drinker for sure, but you have none of their normal markings, no sigils to make you stand out. A surface dweller perhaps?" ranted the man before suddenly stopping his pace.

Putting his thumb to his chin, the eccentric fixer leaned down towards Liam before quickly questioning, "Well? Out with it! I don't got all day."

At first, Liam was stumped. The eccentric, no the crazy man just didn't make any sense to the boy. From the golden armor to the slowly spinning staff on his back, the deranged old man was just _too _weird for Liam to make sense of. That and the fact that Thaddeus knew he was a vampire, yet he wasn't attacking him.

Finally making up his mind, the boy replied, "I-I was up on the surface. You know about Las Vegas right? The strip? There was this symbol, a glowy triangle thing. I touched it and the floor fell out below me...you know the rest."

As Liam explained his part, Thaddeus listened slowly shaking his head up and down as the boy talked. The man seemed to keep up his weird stature as he did, making the featureless mask just a bit more off-putting. Roughly, the eccentric fixer grabbed Liam before pulling him to his feet.

The boy didn't resist with Thaddeus easily hauling him up. The man looked down at Liam before a small frown came over his features. A little bit of pain came up into the boy's shoulder as the man patted him on the shoulder.

The touch came with a surprising amount of strength; Liam could feel his entire left side wobble a bit as Thaddeus said, "Ha! It's rare to see one of your kind down here, and you're a vampire to boot. Ain't that a kick in the head?"

Slowly the man pointed over to where he had thrown Liam's supplies, his bag as well as his mace and shield. Quickly, the vampire rushed over, happy to have the familiar weight at his side. It was a reassurance to the boy, a security he couldn't do without.

"Oh, what am I forgetting? Yeah, welcome to Blackreach son! Or what's left of it at least." declared the man with another small smile showing underneath his mask.

Still looking about in the small enclosed room, Liam thought _Blackreach?_

The name sounded a bit _foreign _to the boy, much like everything else he saw in the more supernatural side of life. Either way, it was still rather interesting to him, so Liam asked, "What's that?"

"One of the greatest subterranean cities you could ever behold! Well, at least it used to be. After a few ah, _incidents _the landscape changed quite a bit. Whole place used to go throughout the entire Northern continent! Well, it still does if you're willing to go a bit deeper than most." Thaddeus explained.

His voice came out in an unnaturally happy tone, with the man's speech being between that of an announcer's and just outright shouting. He also seemed to be a bit over sharing with everything he said, pumping out extravagant details that the boy didn't need to know. Either way, Liam was a bit glad that the strange man appeared to be so helpful.

If he wasn't, the boy might've been dead.

Putting up one finger in the air, the eccentric fixer continued with his tirade saying, "And that was after the second Aetherium War. Soon after the clans showed up and took over the place, with skulking Falmer roosting within the rest. Hey, are you listening?"

Liam quickly nodded his head, hoping the man would buy it. Slowly Thaddeus' suspicion died down with him walking over towards one of his workbenches. Hoping to glean some information out of the strange man, the boy inquired, "So what do are you doing down here?"

Thaddeus turned around with a bit of surprise showing through the bottom of his mask. Facing the vampire once more he answered, "Me? Well, I'm a fixer of sorts. I represent a group called...ah it's not really important right now. Let's just say we go around fixing things down here if something goes wrong. Right now, I'm on standby."

"Oh, uh okay then. You said something about clans?" began Liam. His voice came out with a bit of trepidation to it. He could still remember the first conversation he had with Falion. He had mentioned them, and the Mage didn't seem all too happy when he did.

Meanwhile, Thaddeus pulled the staff off of his back before roughly setting it down on a table. Immediately, the eccentric man pulled out what appeared to be a small blue rock before pushing it to the side. As the mineral left the staff, its budding growth of electricity grew quiet, with the bundle quickly fizzling out.

Slowly pulling off one of the staff's many cogs, the fixer explained, "Yep, them's some nasty folk. I don't suppose you'd have heard of em, being from the surface and all."

One after another, cogs were removed before Thaddeus pulled out what appeared to be some type of urn. Black liquid sloshed around inside the container as he poured it along the gears. To Liam, the fixer appeared to be doing some type of maintenance.

"They tend to be a bit _secluded. _Most of em don't really do much besides manage their...cattle and waste away," remarked Thaddeus in a slightly apprehensive tone. The way the man spoke of them, made the groups seem like some kind of unwanted neighbors.

_Well, that doesn't sound too bad. At least they're not hurting anyone. _Thought the boy as some small plans came to mind.

Maybe they knew something. Liam could finally have someone sit down and explain whatever the hell being a _vampire _was. His version of "it" was nothing like he had seen in movies. There was no burning to ash in the sun's light. There was no Count Dracula waiting for him in the dark. All there was was a list of powers he poorly understood and monsters to hunt him in the night.

If Thaddeus were to hear the boy's thoughts he would call him laughably naive.

"So kid how old are ya? I know that vampirism tends to leave its victims remarkably...fresh." asked the man as he finished oiling up his staff.

Liam approached from the side, watching him work, and replied, "Twelve."

Thaddeus stopped messing with the staff before turning back around with an incredulous look on his face.

The older man gave out a hearty laugh before saying, "Oh, you're serious. I'd say you're sixteen, maybe seventeen if you push it but whatever. Wait, either way aren't you a bit young to be on the strip?"

The vampire quickly thought up an explanation. While trying to throw off the topic with a bit of nervous laughter, Liam answered, "There were some...crazy circumstances."

The other person in the room finally seemed to finish up his maintenance with him roughly shoving the blue stone back in place. Immediately, the stave started to sparkle with blue electricity at its tip with the gears turning once more.

The eccentric fixer hurriedly moved about the hut before approaching the double doors, marking the buildings only exit. Giving the two large hunks of metal a push, Thaddeus wrenched the workshop open. It quickly revealed the outside world to Liam's eyes.

All around the place was stained with a light blue tinge. The boy could see the same large, glowing mushrooms dotting the landscape. The towering fungi had large tentacles reaching down towards the ground with some even touching it. In the distance, he could see an entire myriad of structures.

There were collapsed buildings, towers mostly with large oblong shapes of metal jutting into the sky. Up above Liam's current location hung a glowing orb, acting like the areas own artificial sun. Liam couldn't see the end of the place. There were large rolling hills covered in flora of similar make, with the same buildings dotted about, for as far as his eyes could see.

Quickly turning around, the boy gave a quick look at the workshop he came out of.

It only stood about ten feet tall with a rather flat roof. The place was made of a mix of cut stone and golden dwarven metal, much like every other building around. Out in front of the shop, there were large flowered beds that seemed to be growing some type of food right next to a rather curious lever.

"Ah, I wouldn't touch that if I were you," commented Thaddeus stopping the boy before he could even try.

Liam turned back towards the man. With a little bit of wonder showing on his face, he asked, "Why?"

His answer was a single finger pointed over towards the back of the shop. Standing taller than the building itself was what appeared to be some type of robot. It was stationary, but Liam could see a rather thick wire heading all the way from the lever to the machine.

_Nope, I'd rather not have to fight Mr. looks like it could kill me with a single misplaced step. _Thought the boy before hurriedly backing away.

Despite the rather dreary atmosphere, Liam could confidently say that Blackreach was beautiful. The large spiraling towers of metal and fungus, surprisingly, were easy on the eyes. However, the place felt a bit _off _to him, almost as if there was something missing.

Even with the dazzling view, the entire chasm felt empty. It felt dead. (1)

"Beautiful isn't it? I expect it would have looked even more brilliant if its owners were still around; it's a pity." Thaddeus expressed as the two began to descend the stairs leading away from his workshop.

Taking in a gulp of the earthen air, the vampire replied, "It...it is."

Blackreach was unlike anything Liam had ever seen. Beautiful wasn't enough to describe it.

"Ha! I thought you'd like it. Now, not saying that I don't enjoy some company, but you're _really_ not supposed to be here." said the eccentric man as he abruptly stopped his walk. His tone came out a bit sad but filled with an almost eerie finality to it.

Thaddeus quickly brought around his mask's glowing lenses until he spotted something in the distance. Following the man's gaze, Liam tried to make it out. In the end, the boy had to squint a little but he could easily see a circular tower stretching up into the pitch-black above. It looked about a fourth of a mile off.

Pointing up towards the structure, Thaddeus explained, "Now, that is your ticket back up. Jus-"

With a bit of a frown, the young vampire interrupted, "What if I don't wanna go back up? Why can't I just look around a bit down here?"

The metal-covered old man tilted his head slightly before letting off a low sigh. For a few seconds, the man stood there quietly contemplating something. His posture seemed to straighten out as he stressed, "Look kid...you are _not _supposed to be down here. No one is. Unless you're from the clans or secretly the kin of the snow elves, you're not gonna make it. That's putting beside the fact that you're twelve."

Thaddeus' words only seemed to raise some more questions in the boy. Quietly, they stuck onto the tip of Liam's tongue, just begging him to ask. Doing his best to ignore it, the boy quashed down his curiosity then said, "Fine...let's just go."

"Good, because considering the fact you're not one of the Falmer and that you look like you'd sooner fit in with those covens in Wallachia than anything down here, I'd say you're better off top side." acknowledged the man before starting off his walking once more.

Paying attention to it now, Liam could make out a distinct clanking noise from each one of the steps. With a bit of a disheartened sigh, the boy followed after.

-A Short Distance Away from Thaddeus's Workshop-

The Snow Elves were a pitiful bunch. They were once a great and powerful race, calling the snow-topped mountains around the world their home. They were considered to be once of the most prosperous societies to ever exist, but in the end, they were betrayed. Their skin began to sag, filled with rot, as the newborn of their kin became something worse.

They would become the Falmer.

These creatures would best be described as horrid mockeries of their former selves. They had their eyes wilted, their skin shriveled, their heads hairless, and their minds decayed. Eventually, there were no more "Snow Elves" left.

An entire society was left to nothing but dreary hunters preying upon those who would tread within the dark with the only remnants of the once proud race being shown through their pointed ears.

Usually, such creatures would only skulk about in the deeper caverns within Blackreach, down beneath the undergrowth. Yet, every few weeks they would send groups out, hunting for any who had the folly to brave the depths.

These hunting parties could number anywhere from one or two all the way into groups of thirty or more. It mostly depended on the size of the tribe itself.

After a certain vampires fall, the noise stood out like a beacon easily alerting one of the bands that roamed within the rolling hills of Blackreach. The group, numbering twenty-two, hurriedly rushed forward hoping to catch sight of new prey.

Using their enhanced hearing, the hunting party came across something not of their own. Its footsteps were loud, making the ground itself scream in frustration. As their prey walked, it let out the sounds of clanking metal which easily echoed into the cavernous halls. After some quick stalking, the eldest of the Falmer decided to wait.

The area near the fallen shroom was thick and mossy with nothing but flat ground. The mushroom itself was still letting off the same glow, illuminating all those around. He wasn't going to lose another of his band that night. That Falmer held the title of Gloomlurker; he held himself to a higher stature.

The Gloomlurker and his band stalked after their noisy prey. Each one of them did their best to stay in the shadows, their blackened armor matching the pitch-black holes of darkness between the glowing shrooms. After a few minutes of giving their prey chase, it hid away within one of the Deep One's old structures.

The Gloomlurker could feel the uncomfortable sting of light prickling at its skin. Slowly it brought up its decayed eyes to just barely make out a large blurry object up above. The creature quickly let out a few grunts and growls, ordering the rest of its kind to stop.

A few short minutes passed with the Falmer band waiting within the dark. Their waiting came to an end with the prey revealing itself, but this time there were two. The same clanking noise from before made the Gloomlurker's ears twitch in frustration; the second one however, it seemed lighter almost as if it were one of their own.

Shaking his disheveled head the Falmer put that thought to the side. If the thing were of its kin then he would surely smell it, no it was surely one of the clans. As it walked, following quickly behind the other, it let out a bloodstained stench. The smell permeated the earthen caverns, announcing the vampire's presence like an airhorn to all that would listen.

The Gloomlurker snaked his dried tongue within his mouth as his stomach let out a low gurgle. Either way, it would end up tasting the same.

"So...how long have you been down here?" inquired the vampire. His voice came out with a bit of his usual nervousness. He had been trying to make some type of conversation as they walked to no real success. Thaddeus had quickly shot down any real conversational flow, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts as they walk.

"Most of my life." answered the man, continuing to trudge forward. His voice came out bored, the complete opposite of his earlier ramblings. Thaddeus's mind was elsewhere.

Liam gulped down a glob of saliva before trying to think up some kind of response. The eccentric fixer had gone almost completely quiet during their walk constantly moving his head back and forth, scanning the dark. The boy couldn't quite place why.

"Oh, uh that's cool I guess...alright you know what? This isn't working, so I'm just gonna come out and say it. What in the hell are you looking at?" Liam replied with his brows sharply pulling towards the ground.

Thaddeus stopped walking for a second before turning his head around to face Liam. The man let out a low hum before saying, "Oh that? Just taking a look at our guests. You're a vampire, can't you see them?"

"See what?" questioned the boy.

The strange man's answer was to point a single finger out into the dark. Squinting, the vampire looked over hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever had Thaddeus so spooked. At first, he didn't notice anything, but after a few solid seconds of searching the boy saw a humanoid figure blending in with the gray.

The creature was hunched over by a boulder with its thorny black armor blending in perfectly in the dark. The only way Liam even took notice of it at first was the thing's head. Its two long ears twitched every few seconds as the creature continued to stand there, sword and shield in hand.

Liam's eyes went wide.

Desperately, he turned his head side to side as the boy noticed more and more of the foul creatures. They were slowly surrounding the pair with all of them armed in a similar manner to the first. Quickly the boy began to count them in his head.

"T-That's...How many?" Liam muttered while taking a single fearful step back. One of the things stood out from all the rest. Unlike its brethren, it had a large horned mask covering its face. Looking over, he could also see that it had a chitin-made ax strapped to its back.

Thaddeus slowly pulled the staff of his back before laying it over one should. The gears started to turn faster as the weapon began to emit more and more electricity, shooting off little spools of light into the dark. Expecting the worst, Liam did the same hurriedly pulling out his gear in panic.

"Well boy, I hope you know how to use that thing. Damn the Falmer to Oblivion; they're not supposed to be up this far." Thaddeus fumed before stomping on the ground. The man quickly let out a loud bellow, screaming his defiance into the dark.

Surprisingly, Liam saw a few of the creatures falter with the less armored ones backing away slightly.

"Come on you son's a bitches! I know you can hear me, so stop skulking around in the dark." fumed the strange man, slamming the bottom of his stave into the ground.

_There's too many of them. _Thought the vampire as the Falmer circled about with none taking charge. Their leader let out a few hissing growls before raising his ax up into the air. When the weapon reached its peak he screeched, the inhuman noise reeling within Liam's ears.

Across the hill, chaos erupted. (2)

The entire band split up into small groups of three, completely surrounding the hill Thaddeus and Liam were on. As the Gloom lurker charged forward a trio ran after him, their poorly made armor clinking as they did. With a little yell of his own Thaddeus pointed the stave forward directing it at the group.

Instantly, the electricity spinning around the weapon's tip launched forward, shooting through the air. The Gloomlurker brought its hands down into a forward roll just barely letting the bolt of lightning pass overhead. His kin behind him were not so lucky.

Matching the Gloomlurker's original battle cry, this time at a much higher pitch, was one of the poorer equipped creatures behind it. The smell of ozone hit Liam's nose as the thing fell to the ground. The Falmer's heart stopping before it hit the ground. The other two in the trio faltered.

Sparks flew as Thaddeus blocked a low strike from the Gloomlurker.

"Go on kid! I can handle myself, get out of here." exclaimed the fixer as he continued to push against the Gloomlurker's ax. For the man's size, there was a surprising amount of power hidden in him. Sweat began to build upon Thaddeus's brow as he pushed the thing off him.

With what little tactical ability Liam had he tried to find a way to help, to do _something _at least. His eyes bore over to where the majority of the Falmer were just a short distance away, they seemed to be waiting for something. As quickly as he could, the vampire turned his head around giving short glances at the thinly spread perimeter the rest of the foul beasts were making.

**Their numbers to the left are thinnest. Break them. **advised the voice of Molag Bal. This time, it came as a sort of reassurance to the boy, settling his fear.

Liam's eyes zeroed in on the weak link the Prince had pointed out. At the bottom of the hill, there was only one unarmored foe. It held a single chitin sword in one hand. Unlike most of the other in the band, this Falmer was by its lonesome.

_Perfect. _Thought the boy before shooting forward. The creature let out a low cry of distress as Liam's shield impacted its side. Instantly, the brute tumbled practically falling head over heels as its malnourished body went into the air.

Behind him, Liam could hear the same crackling noise burrow itself into his ears. Thaddeus launched out large bolts of electricity, seemingly every second. The foul creatures fell in droves with a large amount of them dead or dying. They were the lucky ones.

Those who survived felt their entire bodies fight against them as waves of numbing pain lapped across their skin. Only a small few could fight through the pain, pulling themselves back up and into the fray. Even still, small spasms would come from their muscles, slowly eating away at the strength they had left.

Liam ignored it, pushing forward back towards the stone hut. Behind him, a trio of the Falmer quickly followed with the three letting out fervent cries as they chased. Closer to the hill, another group of the creatures strained their eyes trying to decide which battle to join.

Hearing the cries of pain coming from the hill the cowardly beasts decided to chase after Liam, trailing a good thirty feet behind.

Liam's mind reeled a bit as the sounds behind him grew more numerous, the sound of pattering feet sounding in the distance. Up ahead the boy saw Thaddeus's workshop come into view. Steeling himself, the vampire stopped dead in his tracks.

The first three approached wildly swinging their black-chitin swords at Liam. Quickly, he raised his shield barely knocking two of the blades to the side. A small flash of pain came from the boy's side as the third struck true, tearing out a piece of his flesh.

Instantaneously, the wound began to bubble and froth with ruby-colored blood rushing to the area. The pain began to fade as Liam seethed, "You're gonna regret that!"

The Falmer didn't respond, only letting out more low growls. Having the three so close to him was going to be a problem, although not entirely.

Trying his best to respond in kind, the boy slammed his mace into one of the creature's side. A single spine lashed into the Falmer's hip; it let out a piercing wail as it crumpled towards the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. The beast's hip laid in pieces.

The other two quickly backed away yelling out what sounded like howls. In the distance more cries responded, this time much closer. Looking over, Liam could see the other two appeared to have some type of makeshift shields.

The small, buckler-like, contraptions were made of the same blackened chitin. They just barely covered the monster's chest as they held them close. Feeling more adrenaline pour through his mind Liam muttered, "That's gonna be a problem."

The vampire could feel the Prince's presence wash over him. It was quiet for a moment before saying, **Their strength lies not with the equipment itself but the poison it carries. None of its ilk will ail you.**

The boy took Molag Bal's comment with a grain of salt. Their tools looked primitive, but he bet that they would still do their jobs. Rushing forward with no plan at all just seemed like an accident waiting to happen. Liam needed an edge.

Answering his thoughts was a small memory that chimed: _Try out your bound weapons on the gear. I had a few mages in myriad suggest something. You'll like it, promise._

Looking down at the small in-laid runes on his mace the vampire thought _Well it couldn't hurt..._

Small amounts of magicka began to travel from Liam's pool. Quickly, the trickle turned into a downpour as the boy pushed it out calling for something to answer. The runes on his mace glowed a bright purple as his spell came to an end. Looking down, he was able to see just what the characters did.

Liam's mace had an ethereal outline near its edge. Observing it, he could see that the Lesser Daedra he summoned was already formed around the weapon without any input of his own. Through the film-like glow of his bound weapon, the boy could still make out runes shining brightly as he waved it in the air.

The fight for control wasn't present whatsoever. The wannabe spell-sword could only feel a small dribble of his magicka disappearing into the void. Putting it to the side for now, Liam brought his eyes back up to face the two Falmer in front of him. (3)

"Well, here's hoping." commented the boy as he strode forward. The two creatures across from him slithered back, fear showing on their faces. Every few seconds they would let out animal-like hisses as they tried their best to puff themselves up and look more threatening.

It didn't work.

Wrenching his weapon into the air, Liam sprinted towards the first. The mace clipped into the side of its shield. A hopeful smile came onto the boy's face as he saw large cracks appear on the Falmer's equipment. As quickly as he could, he slammed his mace forward again, shattering the buckler into pieces.

The Falmer let out an ear-splitting screech as its fingers crumpled in. Large parts of the beast's skin were missing, being left on the serrated edges of Liam's mace. Blood started to splash onto the ground, splattering the mud below red. A foul stench hit Liam's nose, akin to rotten milk. Almost immediately, the vampire's nose scrunched up in disgust.

As more of the foul beasts approached, their far-flung footsteps barely reaching Liam's ears, the single Falmer left quickly turned around and ran. The monster dropped its sword and shield as it scrunched down towards the ground letting out animalistic cries in its wake. Slowly, the Falmer disappeared into the dark. The boy had bought himself a few scarce seconds.

"Shit!" cursed the boy as he passed by one of the foul beasts, pulling back towards the workshop.

The monster in front of him paid him no mind as it tried its best to nurse the wound on its hand. The thing's breathing started to sharply increase as it rolled on the ground. It began with a few short spasms. More blood leaked from the creature's ravaged hand as it started to convulse, its muscles contracting and expanding with now will of its own.

If anyone with a modicum of medical knowledge were to be at the scene they would identify it as the creature going into shock.

Six more passed over the hill closet to Liam. The boy felt a bit of his earlier fear creep up his throat as he backed up against the workshop's wall. The six continued to sprint forward letting out their own individual cries, weapons raised high.

Frantically, he looked around before a familiar lever met his eyes. The dwemer piece of machinery was sitting just a few feet away, tempting him. Not thinking of the possible consequences, Liam rushed towards the device. The well-maintained lever was pulled back without any resistance whatsoever. Below him, the boy heard a few small clicks as machinery started to knock itself into place.

Quickly pulling himself back towards the workshop's wall, Liam's eyes went wide as a giant automaton roared to life.

**AN: **Well folks that's it for this chapter. Sorry but I'm gonna have to leave you on a bit of a cliff hanger. Story-wise there was a lot of stuff covered in this chapter. The first half was mostly dialogue focused. I'm not going to comment on the hints itself, but I will say there is at least one major revelation in it if you pay attention to some of the wording.

In the second part, I tried to make it more action-packed. There's still a lot more stuff story wise thrown in there but I see it as a lot more thrilling. I was planning to add on more with the scene, specifically I cut out a bit with Thaddeus, but it was already too far in with the chapter size. I wanted to have the whole fight be done in one chapter but my writing style just won't allow it.

Shall we move onto the annotations?

(1) This is one thing I'm trying my best to hit hard on in any locations that you see in the Elder Scrolls series. A lot of places are a whole hell of a lot larger than they are in-game. Blackreach in particular stretches out all across the Reach (The western half of Skyrim) but was said to have collapsed before the fourth era.

A lot of places are like that too, with them being comically small when compared to how they are described in the lore. You can take the Imperial City or even Whiterun for example. Each of these two locations are much, much larger in the lore when compared to in-game.

(2) This entire battle was a bit of a challenge for me. I had to write it twice. I kept getting small details wrong while trying to keep track of everything. In the end, I sat down and drew out a small map of what was going on to help organize it in my head.

This isn't really important to many readers, but it worked surprisingly well when I was writing the scene. It's just another tool to add to my writing "arsenal."

(3) I thought I'd just clarify on this small detail. The runes allow for Liam to use his mace as a conduit for making a bound mace or shield. Overall they do the forming for him, which takes out a large part of the willpower required to hold everything together.

He will still need to learn how to actually summon more than one Lesser Daedra to use the two pieces of gear at the same time though.

Other than that though, like always I'm open to any and all criticism, so if you have any go ahead and hit me with it! I should be seeing you all in a couple of days.

~ciao


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